with the holy Ghost when they heard this Gospel thus preached upon condition of beleeving Act. 10.43 Doth not the Apostle say that the Gospell is the power of God to salvation because therein is Christs righteousnesse revealed not to sinners as sinners but from faith to faith The condition of works is impossible to be wrought in us by the Spirit but the condition of faith though it be impossible for us to work it in our hearts yet it is possible easie and unusuall for God to work it by requiring of it Ier. 3.22 which is no prejudice to Gods free-grace because faith is purposely required and wrought because it chiefly honours and advanceth free-grace Rom. 4 16. The promise is of faith that it might be by grace If Mr W.C. will not preach Christ upon beleeving how will he or any man else preach it Will they tell all men that God loves them and that Christ hath died for them that he that gives grace and salvation will work faith in them Truly thus W.C. seems to affirm but if they shall preach so to all sinners as sinners and tell â—hem absolutely God will work faith in them also I suppose that the Church wals and plentifull and abundant experience would testifie against this falsehood and the Scripture testifies sufficiently that every man shall not have faith to whom the Gospel is preached Now I do beseech the God and father of lights to pitty his straying servants who are led into these deep and dangerous delusions thorow feeble mistake of the true difference between old and new Testament Ministries and that he would pity his people for whose sins God hath let loose these blinding anct hardning doctrines by means of which they are tempted to receive that as the Gospel of truth which is but a meer lye and to take that as an evidence of salvation that is in truth the evidence of perdition and condemnation as hath been shewn Thesis 118. The second thing remains to be cleared whether sanctification may not be a first evidence and therefore more then a carnall inferiour and last evidence as Mr Saltmarsh cals it For if it be not a doubtfull but a clear and certain evidence in it self as hath been proved why may it not be a first evidence why may not the Spirit of God who works it in a person justified first reveal it as an evidence that he is justified What mortall man can limit the Spirit of God to what evidence he shall first bring in to the conscience of a justified estate For let sanctification be taken in the largest sense for any work of saving grace wrought in the Elect whether in vocation to faith or in sanctification which strictly taken followes our justification by faith and take evidence not for evidence of the object for Christ Jesus in his free-grace must be seen first as the ground on which faith rests but for evidence of testimony to the subject and then I thus argue that this first evidence of speciall actuall love in beholding Gods free-grace to a sinner it is either 1. Without the being of faith and other graces Or 2. Without the seeing of them only the eye looking up only to Christ and free-grace But this first evidence is not without the being of faith and holinesse for then it should be to a man actually under the power of sin and his filthy lusts and the devil which hath been already proved in the former Thesis to be a meer delusion there being no such word of the Gospel which reveals Gods free love and actual reconciliation to a sinner as a sinner and as under the power of his sins but the Gospel rather reveals the quite contrary and to affirm the witnesse of the Spirit clears this up is to pretend a testimony of the Spirit contrary to the testimony of the world and yet I strongly fear and do fully beleeve that this is the first evidence which some men plead for viz. to see Gods love toward them while they neither see grace or any change of heart in them or have grace but are still under the dominion of their sin And on the other side if any affirm that this evidence is not without the being of grace but onely without the seeing of it so that a Christians first evidence is the seeing of Gods free grace out of himself without seeing any faith or grace in himself and seeing nothing else but sin in himself this I confesse is nearer the truth but it is an errour which leads a man to a precipice and near unto the pit for if this be so then these things will unavoidably follow 1. That a Christian must see the love of God toward him in Christ and yet must not see himself to be the person to whom this love onely belongs for according to this very opinion it self it belongs only to a beleever and one that hath the being of grace and not to a sinner as a sinner 2. Then a Christian must not see the love of Christ and free grace of God by that proposition or testimony of the Spirit which reveals it and that is this Tu fidelis thou Beleever called and sanctified art freely beloved and thus a man must not see his estate good by the light of the spirit nay thus a Christian must receive the testimony of the Spirit which assures him that he is loved without understanding the meaning of the Spirit which is not thou sinner as such but thou Beleever art beloved not thou that hast no grace but thou that hast the being of it art beloved 3. Then the first evidence is built upon a meer weaknesse nay upon an untruth and falsehood for it is a meer weaknesse not to see that which we should see viz. the being of faith and grace in the heart in which respect the promise is sealed and if any man by not seeing it shall think and say there is no grace no faith no sanctification and now he sees Gods love to such a one and he thinks himself to be such a one when he sees Gods free grace and hath this first evidence it is a falsehood and an untruth for it is supposed to be there in the being of it all this while suppose therefore that some Christians at their first return and conversion to God or afterward have grace and faith but see it not in their assurance of Gods love the eminency of the object and good of it swallowing up their thoughts and hearts from attending themselves yet the question is quo jure they do not see nay should not see and take notice of the being of them in themselves Is not this a meer weaknesse and falsehood which is now made the mystery of this first evidence and indeed somewhat like Cusanus his summa sapientia which he makes to be this viz. Attingere illud quod est inattingibile inattingibiliter That a Christian must see and touch Gods deep love and yet neither
being shusted into the Decalogue and so might ceremonialls also Thesis 38. There were three sorts of laws which are commonly knowne and which were most eminently appearing among the Jewes 1. Morall 2. Ceremoniall 3. Judiciall Thesis 39. The morall respected their manners as they were men and are therefore called morall The ceremoniall respected them as a Church and as such a kinde of Church The judicial as a Common wealth and as that particular Common-wealth Morall laws were to govern them as an human society Ceremoniall as a sacred society Judiciall as a civill society Thus the Learned speak and being candidly understood are true Thesis 40. The morall law contained in the Decalogue is nothing else but the law of nature revived or a second edition and impression of that primitive and perfect law of nature which in the state of innocency was engraven upon mans heart but now againe written upon Tables of stone by the finger of God For man being made in the Image of God he had therefore the law of holines and righteousnes in which Gods Image consisted written in his heart but having by his fall broken this Table and lost this Image neither knowing or doing the will of God through the law of sinne now engraven on it Hence the Lord hath in much pitty made knowne his law again and given us a faire copy of it in the two Tables of stone which are the copy of that which was writ upon mans heart at first because the first Table containes Love to God in holinesse the second Love to man in righteousnesse which holinesse and righteousnesse are the two parts of Gods Image which was once engraven upon mans soule in his primitive and perfect estate Ephes. 4.24 Nor indeed doe I see how that popish Argument will be otherwise answered pleading for a possibility in man to keep the law perfectly in his lapsed and fallen estate in this life for say they God makes no lawes of impossible things it being unjust for God to require and exact that of a man which hee is not able to doe to which it is commonly and truely answered That man had once power to keep the law in his innocent estate and hence though man be not able to keep it now yet God may require it because hee once gave him power to keep it and that therefore it is no more unjust to exact such obedience which hee cannot performe than for a creditor to require his money of his broken debtor or spend-thrift who is now failed as they say and not able to repay Man therefore having once power to keep the law and now having no power this argues strongly that the law of the Decalogue contains nothing but what was once written as a law of life upon his heart in his innocent estate for I see not how Gods justice can be cleared if he exacts such obedience in the Decalogue which is impossible for man to give unlesse the very same law and power of obedience was written upon his heart at first and therefore it is a wilde notion of theirs who thinke that the Covenant of works which God made with Adam is not the same for matter with the Covenant of works exprest in the morall law for wee see that there is the same Image of holinesse and righteousnesse required in the Tables of stone as the condition of this Covenant which was once written upon mans heart and required in the same manner of him Now this law thus revived and reprinted is the Decalogue because most naturall and suitable to humane nature when it was made most perfect therefore it is universall and perpetuall the substance also of this law being love to God and man holinesse toward God and righteousnesse toward man Matt. 22.37 39. Luke 1. Hence also this law must needs bee morall universall and perpetuall unlesse any should bee so wicked as to imagine it to be no duty of universall or perpetuall equity either to love God or to love man to performe duties of holinesse toward the one or duties of righteousnesse toward the other Hence again the things commanded in this law are therefore commanded because they are good and are therefore morall unlesse any shall think that it is not good in it selfe to love God or man to be holy or righteous and which is still observable there is such a love required herein and such a lovelinesse put upon these lawes as that by vertue of these all our obedience in other things which are not moral becomes lovely for there were many ceremoniall observances in which and by which the people of God exprest their love to God as Mr. Primrose truely concludes from Deut. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6. and Matth. 22.37 38 40. but yet this love did arise by vertue of a morall rule for therefore it was love to worship God in ceremoniall duties because it was lovely to worship God with his own worship of which these were parts which is the moral rule of the second Commandment And hence Master Primrose may see his grosse mistake in making one law of the Decalogue ceremoniall because the summary of the Decalogue being love to God and love to man and our love to God being shewne in ceremoniall as well as in morall duties because our love is seen shewn in our obedience to all the Commandments of God ceremonial as well as moral For though there be love in ceremonial dutys it is not so much in respect of themselves as in respect of some morall rule by vertue of which such duties are attended Thesis 41. The ceremoniall law consisting chiefly of types and shadowes of things to come Heb. 8.5 and therefore being to cease when the body was come Col. 2.17 was not therefore perpetuall as the law morall but temporary and of binding power onely to the nation of the Jewes and their proselytes and not putting any tie upon all Nations as the morall law did Every ceremoniall law was temporary but every temporary law was not ceremoniall as some say as is demonstrable from sundry judicials which in their determinations were proper to that Nation while that Jewish polity continued and are not therefore now to be observed Thesis 42. The Iudiciall lawes some of them being hedges and fences to safeguard both morall and ceremoniall precepts their binding power was therefore mixt and various for those which did safeguard any morall law which is perpetuall whether by just punishments or otherwise doe still morally binde all Nations For as Piscator argues a morall law is as good and as precious now in these times as then and there is as much need of the preservation of these fences to preserve these lawes in these times and at all times as well as then there being as much danger of the treading downe of those lawes by the wilde beasts of the world and brutish men sometimes even in Churches now as then and hence God would have all Nations preserve these fences for
his time till Christs Ascension if since that time they bring it a peg lower and make it to be a humane Constitution of the Church rather then any Divine Institution of Christ Iesus and herein those that oppose the Morality of it by dint of argument and out of candor and conscience propose their grounds on which they remaine unsatisfied I do from my heart both highly and heartily honour and especially the labours of Master Primrose and Master Ironside many of whose Arguments and Answers to what is usually said in defence of the Morality of the day who ever ponders them shall finde them heavie the foundations and sinewes of whose discourses I have therefore had a speciall eye to in the ensuing Theses with a most free submission of what is here returned in answer thereto to the censure of better minds and riper thoughts being verily perswaded that whoever finds no Knots or Difficulties to humble his spirit herein either knows not himselfe or not the Controversie but as for those whose chiefe arguments are reproaches and revilings of embittered and corrupt hearts rather then solid reasons of modest minds I wholly decline the pursuit of such creatures whose weapons is their swell and not any strength and do leave them to his tribunall who judgeth righteously for blearing the eyes of the world and endeavouring to exasperate Princes and make wise men beleeve that this Doctrine of the Sabbath is but a late Novelty a Doctrine tending to a high degree of Schisme a phanatick Iudaizing like his at Tewksbury Sabbata sancta colo i. e. a peece of Disciplinary Policy to advance Presbytery a superstitious seething over of the hot or whining simplicity of an over-rigid crabbed precise crack-brain'd Puritanicall party the righteous God hath his little dayes of judgment in this life to clear up and vindicate the righteous cause of his innocent servants against all gainsayers and who sees not but those that will be blinde that the Lord hath begun to do something this way by these late broyles the controversie God hath with a Land is many times in defence of the controversies of his faithfull Witnesses the sword maintaines argument and makes way for that which the Word could not those plants which not many yeers since most men would not beleeve not to be of Gods planting hath the Lord puld up the three innocent Fire-brands so fast tyed to some Foxes tayles are now prety well quencht and the tayles almost cut off this cause of the Sabbath also the Lord Iesus is now handling God hath cast down the Crownes of Princes stained the Robes of Nobles with dirt and blood broken the Croziers and torne the Miters in peeces for the controversie of his Sabbath Jer. 17.27 he hath already made way for his Discipline also which they feared the precise Sabbath would introduce again by such a way as hath made all hearts to ake just according to the words never to be forgotten of Mr. Udal in his Preface to the Demonstration of Discipline The Councel of Matiscon imputed the irruption of the Goths into the Empire to the prophanation of the Sabbath Germany may now see or else one day they shall see that one great cause of their troubles is that the Sabbath wanted its Rest in the dayes of their quietnesse England was at rest till they troubled Gods Sabbath The Lord Iesus must reign the Government of his House the Laws of his Kingdom the Solemn days of his worship must be established the cause of his suffering and afflicted servants not of our late religious scorners at Ordinances Lawes and Sabbaths who are now at rest from their labours but in former times wept and prayed and petitioned and preacht and writ and suffered and dyed for these things and are now crying under the Altar must and shall certainly be cleared before men and Angels Heaven and earth shall passe away before one tittle of the Law much lesse a whole Sabbath shall perish But while I am thus musing me thinks no measure of tears are sufficient to lament the present state of times that when the Lord Iesus was come forth to vindicate the cause and controversie of Sion there should rise up other Instruments of spiritual wickednesses in high places to blot out the name and sweet remembrance of this Day from off the face of the earth the enemies of the Sabbath are now not so much malignant time-servers and aspiring brambles whom preferment principally byassed to knock at the Sabbath but those who have eaten bread with Christ a generation of professing people do lift up their heel against his Sabbath so that what could not formerly be done against it by Angels of darknes the old Serpent takes another course to effect it by seeming Angels of light who by a new device are raised up to build the sepulchres of those who persecuted the Prophets in former times to justifie all the books of sports the reading of them yea all the former present profanations yea scoffs scorns against the Sabbath day For as in former times they have Ceremonialized it out of the Decalogue yet by humane constitutiō have retained it in the Church so these of later times have spritualized it out of the Decalogue ye out of of all the Churches in the world For by making the Christian Sabbath to be only a spirituall Sabbath in the bosome of God out of Heb. 4. they hereby abolish a seventh dayes Sabbath and make every day equally a Sabbath to a Christian man This I hope will be the last but it is the most specious and fairest colour and banner that ever was erected to fight under against the Christian Sabbath and is most fit to deceive not only some sudden men of loose and wanton wits but especially men of spirituall but too shallow minds In times of Light as these are reputed to be Satan comes not abroad usually to deceive with fleshly and grosse forgeries and his cloven foot for every one almost would then discerne his haltings but with more mystical yet strong delusions and invisible chaines of darknesse whereby he bindes his captives the faster to the judgment of the great day And therefore the watchword given in the bright and shining times of the Apostle was to Try the Spirits and Believe not every Spirit And take heed of Spirits who indeed were only fleshly and corrupt men yet called Spirits because they pretended to have much of the Spirit and their doctrines seemed only to advance the Spirit the fittest and fairest cobwebs to deceive and intangle the world in those discerning times that possible could be spun out of the poysonfull bowels of corrupt and ambitious wit The times are now come wherein by the refined mysticall divinity of the old Monks not only the Sabbath but also all the Ordinances of Christ in the New-Testament are allegorized and spirituallized out of the world And therefore 't is no marvel when they abolish the outward Sabbath because of
and standing in the roome of all mankinde Hence as nothing was writ then but what was common to all men so such things thus writ were good for all men and suitable to all men it being most injurious to God to think that any thing evill should be imprinted there if therefore it bee proved that the law of the Sabbath was then writ upon mans heart then it undenyably followes that it is meet and suitable to all men still to observe a Sabbath day and indeed to the right understanding of what is suitable to man as man and consequently morall there is nothing more helpfull than to consider of our primitive estate and what was suitable to our nature then for if that which is morall in marriage is to be searched for in the first and ancient records of our first creation by the appointment of our Saviour I then know no reason whatever others object but morality in all other lawes and duties is there to bee sought also for although our originall perfection is now defaced and lost and in that respect is a merum non ens as some call it yet it had once a being and therefore in this controversie we may lawfully enquire after it considering especially that this being which once it had may be suffiently knowne by the contrary being of universall corruption that is in us now as also by the light of the Scriptures in which the searcher and maker of all hearts declares it unto us and indeed there are many morall duties which will never appeare good and suitable to man but rather hard and unreasonable because impossible untill we see and remember from whence we are fallen and what once we had Thesis 26. If therefore a morall law command that which is suitable to humane nature and good in it selfe then it followes from hence which was toucht before that divine determination of something in a law doth not alway take away morality from a law for divine determination is many times no more but a plain and positive declaration of that which is suitable just and good and equall for man to observe now that which points out and declares unto us the morality of a law cannot possibly abolish and destroy such a law For a morall law commanding that which is suitable and good as hath been shewne it is impossible that the Commandment which determineth and directeth to that which is good that by this determination it should overthrow the being of such a good law nay verily particular determination and positivenesse as some call it is so farre from abolishing as that it rather addes to the being as well as to the clearing up and manifestation of such a law For if it be not sufficient to make a morall law that the thing be good in it selfe but that also it must be commanded then the Commandment which many times onely detemines to that which is good and consequently determination doth adde unto the being of a morall law Thesis 27. There is scarce any thing but it is morally indifferent untill it falls under some divine determination but divine determination of twofold 1. Of such things which are not good fit or needfull for man to observe without a command as Sacrifices and Sacraments and such likes now herein in such lawes positive determination may be very well inconsistent with morality and it may bee safely said that such a law is not morall but rather positive and thus the learned sometimes speak 2. Of such things as are equall good in themselves needfull and suitable for man and here particular determination and morality may kisse each other and are not to be opposed one to another and hence it is that if Gods Commandment positively determines us to observe any part of instituted worship suppose Sacraments or Sacrifices yet such lawes are not morall although it bee morall in generall to worship God after his owne will because the things themselves are not good in themselves nor needfull but if God shall determine us to observe a Sabbath day this determination doth not take away the morality of the command because it being good in it selfe to give God the meetest and fittest proportion of time for holy Rest and the commandment declaring that this seventh part or so is such a time hence it comes to passe that this time is good in it selfe and therefore determination by the commandment in this case doth not abolish the morality hereof It is a morall duty to pay tribute to Caesar to give to Caesar that which is Caesars hence because a man may give too much or too little to him that determination which directs us to that particular which is Caesars due and most meet for him to receive and us to give that is best in it selfe and is therefore morall so prayer is a morall duty but because a man may bee tempted to pray too oft or else too seldome hence determination of the fittest and this fittest season makes this or that morall So 't is here in the Sabbath I doe willingly and freely professe thus farre with our Adversaries of the morality of the Sabbath that it is a morall duty to give God some time and day of holy Rest and worship as 't is morall to give Caesar his due and to pray to God but because we may give God too many dayes or too few hence the determination of the most meet and fittest proportion of time and particularly of this time makes this and that to be also morall If no day at all in generall was good and fit for man to give to God and God should notwithstanding command a seventh day then the commandment of such a day with such positive determination could not bee morall any more then the determination of sacrrifices and such like But every day say some of our Adversaries some day say others of them being acknowledged to be equall just and good and most meet to give to God hence it is that determination of a seventh day doth not abolish but clear up that which is morall because it points out unto man that which is most meet and equall Hence therefore it follows that a seventh day is therefore commanded because it is good and not good meerly because commanded Determination also declaring what is most meet declareth hereby that this commandment is also morall and not meerly positive and ceremoniall which not being well considered by some this fourth commandment having some more positivenesse and determination then divers of the rest hath therefore been the chiefe stumbling stone and rock of offence to many against the morality of it by which they have miserably bruised themselves while they have endeavoured to destroy it upon so grosse a mistake Thesis 28. It is true that God out of his absolute soveraignty and good pleasure of his will might have determined us to observe a fourth a ninth a twentieth part of our time in holy rest more or lesse as well as to
from our consciences as a covenant of life not to see or feare any condemnation for sinne or any sinne able to take away life But will it hence follow that a justified person must see no sinne by the eye of faith nor any law as his rule to walke by to discover sinne and is this the end and fruit of Christs death too Surely this doctrine if it be not blasphemous yet it may be knowne to be very false and pernicious by the old rule of judging false Doctrines viz. if either they tend to extenuate sinne in man or to vilifie the precious grace of Jesus Christ as this Doctrine doth Thesis 83. If sinne be the transgression of the law which is a truth written by the Apostle with the beams of the Sunne 1 Iohn 3.4 then of necessity a Beleever is bound to attend the law as his rule that so he may not sinne or transgresse that rule Psalme 119.11 for whoever makes conscience of sinne cannot but make conscience of observing the rule that so he may not sinne and consequently whoever make no conscience of observing the rule doe openly professe thereby that they make no conscience of committing any sinne which is palpable and downe-right Atheisme and prophanesse nay it is such prophanesse by some mens principles which Christ hath purchased for them by his bloud for they make the death of Christ the foundation of this liberty and freedome from the law as their rule the very thought of which abominable doctrine may smite a heart who hath the least tendernesse with horrour and trembling Porquius therefore a great Libertine and the Beelzebub of those flies in Calvins time shuts his sore eyes against this definition of sinne delivered by the Apostle and makes this onely to be a sinne viz. to see know or feele sinne and that the great sinne of man is to thinke that he doth sinne and that this is to put off the old man viz. Non cernendo amplius peccatum i. by not seeing sinne So that when the Apostle tels us that sinne is the trangression of the law Porquius tels us That sinne is the seeing and taking notice of any such transgression surely if they that confesse sinne shall finde mercy then they that will not so much as see sinne shall finde none at all A Beleever indeed is to dye unto the Law and to see no sinne in himselfe in point of imputation for so he sees the truth there being no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus but thus to dye unto the law so as to see no sinne inherent in himselfe against the law this is impious for so to see no sinne and die unto the law is an untruth if the Apostle may be believed 1 Iohn 1.10 Those that so annihilate a Christian and make him nothing and God all so that a Christian must neither scire velle or sentire any thing of himselfe but he must be melted into God and dye to these for then they say he is out of the flesh and live in God and God must bee himselfe and such like language which in truth is nothing else but the swelling leaven of the devout and proud Monks laid up of late in that little peck of meale of Theologia Germanica out of which some risen up of late have made their cakes for the ordinary food of their deluded hearers I say these men had need take heed how they stand upon this precipice and that they deliver their judgements warlly for although a Christian is to bee nothing by seeing and loathing himselfe for sinne that so Christ may bee all in all to him yet so to bee made nothing as to see know thinke feele will desire nothing in respect of ones selfe doth inevitably lead to see no sinne in ones selfe by seeing which the soule is most of all humbled and so God and Jesus Christ is most of all exalted and yet such a kind of annihilation the old Monks have pleaded for and preached also as I could shew abundantly from out of their own writings insomuch that sometime they counsell men not to pray because they must be so farre annihilated as nihil velle and sometimes they would feigne themselves unable to beare the burthen of the species of their own pitchers in their cels from one end of them unto another because forsooth they were so farre annihilated as neither to velâ—â— so neither to scire or know any thing beside God whom they pretended to be all unto them and themselves nothing when God knowes these things were but braine bubbles and themselves in these things as arrand hypocrites as the earth bore and the most subtle underminers of the grace of Christ and the salvation of mens soules Thesis 84. A true Beleever though he cannot keep the law perfectly as his rule yet he loves it dearely he blames his owne heart when he cannot keep it but doth not find fauâ—l with the law as too hard but cries out with Paul The law is holy and good but I am carnall hee loves this Coppy though hee can but scribble after it when therefore the question is made viz. Whether a Beleever be bound to the law as his rule the meaning is not whether he hath power to keep it exactly as his rule or by what meanes hee is to seek power to keep it but the question is whether it bee in its self a Beleevers rule for to be a rule is one thing but to be able to keep it and by what meanes we should keep it whether by our own strength or no or by power from on high is another Thesis 85. If the Apowle had thought that all Beleevers were free from this directive power of the law he would never have perswaded them to love upon this ground viz. because all the law is fulfilled in love Gal. 5.13 14. for they might then have câ—st off this argument as weak and feeble and have truely said if this principle were true what have wee to with the law Thesis 86. There is the inward law written on the heart called the law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 and there is the outward law revealed and written in the holy Scriptures now the externall and outward law is properly the rule of a Christian life and not the internall and inward law as some conceive for to outward law is perfect in that it perfectly declares what is Gods will and what not but the inward Law as received and writ in our hearts is imperfect in this life and therefore unfit to bee our rule The inward law is our actuall yet imperfect conformity to the rule of the law without it is not therfore the rule it selfe The law within is the thing to bee ruled Psal. 17.4 Psalme 119.4.5 The outward law therefore is the rule The law of the Spirit of life which is the internall law is called a law not in respect of perfect direction which is essentiall to the rule but in
respect of mighty and effectuall operation there being a power in it as of a strong law effectually and sweetly compelling to the obedience of the law For as the law of sinne within us which the Apostle calls the law of our members and is contrary to the law of our mindes or the law of the spirit of life within us is not the rule of knowing and judging what sinne is but the law of God without Romans 7.7 and yet it is called a law because it hath a compulsive power to act and encline to sin like a mighty and forcible law so the law of the spirit of life the law of our mindes is called a law not that it is the rule of a Christians life but that it compels the heart and forceth it like a living law to the obedience of that directing rule when it â—s made known to it from without It is therefore a great mistake to thinke that because God translates the law without into a Beleevers heart that therefore this heart-law is his only or principall rule of life or to imagine that the spirit without the externall law is the rule of life the spirit is the principle indeed of our obedience whereby we conforme unto the rule but it is not therefore the rule it selfe It is true indeed 1. That the spirit inclines the heart to the obedience of the rule 2. It illuminates the minde also many times to see it by secret shinings of preventing light as well as brings things to their remembrance which they knew before 3. It acts them also sometime so as that when they know not what to pray it prompts them Romans 8.26 When they know not what to speake before their Adversaries in that day it 's given to them Matth. 10.19 When they know not whither to goe nor how to goe it 's then a voice behinde them and leads them to fountaines of living waters Isaiah 30.21 Revel 7.17 But all these and such like quickning acts of the spirit doe not argue it to be our rule according to which wee ought to walke but only by which or by meanes of which we come to walke and are enclined directed and inabled to walke according to the rule which is the law of God without For the Pilot of the ship is not the compasse of the ship because that by the Pilot the ship is guided nor doth it argue that the Spirit is our rule because he guides us according to the rule It is not essentiall to the rule to give power to conforme unto it but to be that according to which we are to be conformed And therefore it 's a crazy argument to prove the law of the Spirit to be the rule of our life because it chiefly gives us power to conforme unto the rule for if the law be that according to which are to bee guided although it should give us no power yet this is sufficient to make it to be our rule Thesis 87. The Spirit of God which writ the Scriptures and in them this rule of the holy law is in the Scriptures and in that law as well as in a Beleevers heart and therefore to forsake and reject the Scriptures or this written rule is to forsake and reject the holy Spirit speaking in it as their rule nay 't is to forsake that Spirit which is the supreme Judge according to which all private spirits nay all the actings dictates movings speakings of Gods owne Spirit in us are to be tried examined and judged To the law and the testimony was the voice of the Prophets in their dayes Isa. 8.20 The Lord Christ himselfe referres the Jewes to the searching of Scriptures concerning himself Iohn 5.39 The men of Bereah are commended for examining the holy and infallible dictates of Gods Spirit in Pauls Ministery according to what was written in the Scriptures of old It is therefore but a cracking noise of windy words for any to say that they open no gap to licentiousnesse by renouncing the written and externall law as their rule considering that they cleave to a more inward and better rule viz. The law of the spirit within for as hath beene shewne they doe indeed renounce the holy Spirit speaking in the rule viz. the law without which though it be no rule of the Spirit as some object yet it is that rule according to which the Spirit guides us to walke and by which we are to judge whether the guidance bee the spirits guidance or no. Thesis 88. Some say That the difference between the old Testament dispensation and the new or pure Gospel and new Covenant is this to wit That the one or that of Moses was a Ministery from without and that of Christ from within and hence they say that the meer Commandments or letter of Scripture is not a law to a Christian why he should walke in holy duties but the law written on our hearts the law of life But if this bee the difference between the old and new Testament dispensation the ministery of the old and the ministery of the new then let all Beleevers burn their Bibles and cast all the sacred writings of the new Testament old unto spiders and cobwebs in old holes and corners and never be read spoken or meditated on for these externall things are none of Christs Ministery on which now Beleevers are to attend and then I marvaile why the Apostles preached or why they writ the Gospel for after times for that was the chiefe end of their writing as it was of the Prophets in their times Isaiah 30.8 that men might beleeve and beleeving have eternall life and know hereby that they have eternall life Iohn 20.31 1 Iohn 5.13 For either their writing and preaching the Gospell was not an externall and outward Ministry which is crosse to common sense or it was not Christs Ministery which is blasphemous to imagine and it is a vain shift for any to say That although it was Christs Ministery yet it was his Ministery as under the Law and in the flesh and not in meere glory and spirit for its evident that the Apostles preachings and writings were the effect of Christs ascension and glory Ephes. 4.8.11 when hee was most in the spirit and had received the spirit that hee might poure it out by this outward Ministery Acts 2.33 and it is a meer New-nothing and dream of Master Saltmarsh and and others to distinguish between Christ in the flesh and Christ in the Spirit as if the one Christ had a divers Ministery from the other For when the Comforter is come which is Christ in the Spirit what will he doe he will lead it s said unto all truth Iohn 16.13 But what truth will he guide us into Verily no other for substance but what Christ in the flesh had spoken and therefore it 's said that he shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14.26 and therefore if I may use their
law but the externall face of these things was scarce any thing else but Doing and Law by reason of which there is a vaile spread over the hearts of the lewes in reading the old Testament unto this day as is evident 2 Cor. 3.13 so that the inside or end of the morall law being Gospel and the out-side and meanes appointed to this end being law hence the Gospel was then lesse clearly and the law was more clearely revealed in those times to say that Iesus Christ and his benefits or eternall life were then dispensed under a Covenant of works or sub conditione perfectae obedientiae as some eminent Worthies affirm is such an errour which wise and able men might easily fall into by seeing how much law was revealed and urged in those times for though the law simply considered in it selfe contained the matter of the Covenant of works yet considered relatively in respect of the people of God and as they were under Abrahams Covenant of grace so it was given to them as a rule of perfect righteousnesse by both which they might the better see their owne weaknesse and unrighteousnesse â—nd flye to Christ and therefore the Apostle Gal. 3.17 cals the promise which was made to Abraham the Covenant and gives not this title to the Law but calls it the law which he saith could not disanull the Covenant confirmed in Christ and although it be propounded to them in way of Covenant Exod. 19.5 yet this is to be understood as some thinke of Evangelicall keeping Covenant not of legall or if of legall yet then it is not propounded simply as a Covenant of works to convey Christ to them but ex hypothesi or upon supposition that if they did think to be Gods people and have him to be their God by doing as Iunius observes the carnall Jewes did thinke and hope so to have him and as that young man thought Mat. 19.17 as Chamier observes that then they must keep all these Commandments perfectly and to bee accursed if they did not continue therein I dare not therefore say that Christ and eternall life were dispensed in a Covenant of works under which Covenant the Iewes were shut in old Testament times but rather this that the law was more strongly pressed as a yoke upon their shoulders and that this law which containes the Covenant of works was more plentifully revealed and insisted on and the Gospel more sparingly and darkly but now in Gospel times the day-starre is risen though in few mens hearts yet in the doctrine and cleare revelation of it therein and therefore the Gospel is called the mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now is made manifest to his Saints Col. 1. â—6 which cannot bee meant as if they had no knowledge of it for Abraham saw Christs day and there is a cloud of witnesses in the Old Testament who dyed in faith Heb. 11. but not such cleare knowledge of it as now they were therefore then under the Law as servants because so much working and doing was urged and chiefely revealed but indeed were sonnes and heires but wee now are not so under it but are as sonnes having the Lord Iesus and our fathers face in him clearely revealed and faith in him chiefely and most abundantly urged in his blessed Gospel and thus the Apostle tels us in this Text Gal. 4.1 with 4.5 that the heires of the Promise under the Old Testament were as servants but by Christâ— comming we are now as sonnes look also as they are said to be under the Law not as if they had no Gospel revealed or no use of the Gospel but onely because the Gospel was more darkly revealed and the Law more plentifully urged so we are said not to be under the Law not as if there was no Law or no use of the Law belonging to us but because now the Gospel is more clearely revealed and the Law not externally so proposed and imposed as it was upon them 2. The Law was a Schoolmaster Tutor and Governour to lead them unto Christ to come for so the Apostle tels us in this place Gal. 3.23 that before faith came we were shut up under the Law unto the faith which should afterward be revealed Thus the Ceremoniall law pointed to Christ to come the morall law discovered mans sinne and misery and need of Christ who was to come nay all the promises were made with reference to Iesus Christ to come but now the fulnesse of time being come that the Sonne of God is come now we are no longer under the Law after this manner neither ceremoniall or morall law are of any use to us to lead us unto Christ to come for Christ is already come and hence it is that Beleevers now are said to be rather under the Gospel than under the Law and Beleevers under the Old Testament to be rather under the Law than under the Gospel because although these had the efficacy of Christs Redemption yet they were not yet actually redeemed because the Redeemer was not yet come into the flesh and in this respect they were under the rigour of the law and hence it was fit that they should bee handled as servants and the law and curse thereof principally revealed but now Christ being come and having actually redeemed us having been not onely virtually but actually made righteousnesse and a curse for us now therefore is the time that we should see Christ Iesus with open face and hear principally concerning faith and the fathers love in him now Christ is revealed chiefely being come the end of the Law then the Law was revealed chiefely Christ being not yet come as the meanes to this end looke therefore as the promise before Christ of which the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.17 18 19 21 22. was fulfilled in Christ being come as Divines speak rather than abolished and yet abolished as it was a promise of grace to come so the morall law is rather fulfilled than abolished in Christ being come and yet as it did lead unto Christ to come it is abolished to us now under the Gospel 3. The law being principally revealed and yet so revealed as to lead unto Christ Jesus to come hence ariseth a third thing of the law from which we are now delivered viz. they were therefore under more terrour and feare of the Law than we are on Gods part revealing the Gospel more clearely in these times and therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 4.4 5 6. that when the fulnesse of time came God sent his Sonne to redeeme us from under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes and thereby the Spirit of Sonnes crying Abba Father could not they who were Sonnes under the Law call God Father yes verily doubtlesse thou art our Father say they Isaiah 63.17 but they having lesse light they had more feare and lesse of the Spirit of Adoption I say still ex parte Dei revelantis than we have in these dayes We are not
heard of it do certainly and assuredly know that these men at least doctrines in this point are not of God The word in these mens mouths being flat contrary to the mercifull and the for ever to be adored work of God in their hearts When the Spirit comes his first work if Christ may be beleeved even when he comes as a Comforter is To convince the world of sinne Iohn 16.9.10 which we know is chiefly by the law Rom. 3.20 and shall the Ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit refuse to begin here Especially in these times of wantonnesse contention confusion famine sword and bloud wherein every thing almost cries aloud for sackcloth and therefore not for tiffany and silken Sermons As if this corrupt and putrifying age stood only in need of sugar to preserve and keep them sweet from smelling As if sublime notions about Christ and free grace Covenant of grace love of the Father the kingdome within and Châ—istian excâ—llencies and priviledges were the only things this age stood in need of and not in any need of searchings with candles terrours shakings â—ence of sin or forewarnings of wrath to come As if this old world did need no Noah to fortell them of flouds of fire and wrath to come Or as if the men of Sodom and Princes of Gomorah should do well to mock at Lot for bidding him to hasten out of the city because God would destroy it As if the spirit of Paul in these times should not know the terrour of the Lord and therefore perswade men 2 Cor. 5.10.11 but only the love and free-grace of the Lord Jesus and therefore to exhort men nay rather therefore to relate to men stories and notions about â—ree-grace generall redemption the mystery of the Fathers love and the Christ in you and in the spirit not the person of Christ or Christ in the flesh the hope of glory What will the Lord Jesus one day say to these sleepy watchmen that never tell the secure world of their enemies at the door I finde divers colours and pretences for this course of daubing 1. Some say this savours of an old Testament spirit which was wâ—nt to wound and then to heal to humble and then to raise to preach law and then Gospell but now we are to he Ministers of the new Testament and let no law be heard of I confesse those that preach the law as the means of our justification and as the matter of our righteousnesse without Christ or together with Christ as the false teachers did 2 Cor. 3 6. may well be called as Paul cals them Ministers of the letter not of the Spirit of the old Testament not of the New but to preach Christ plainly and with open face the end of the law and to preach the law as the means to prepare for and advance Christ in our hearts can never be proved to be the old Testament Ministry or to put a vail upon mens hearts that they cannot see the end of the law as the old Testament vail did 2 Cor. 3.14 but it is to take away the vail of all conceit of mans own strength and righteousnesse by seeing his curse that so he may sâ—â— to the end thereof the Lord Jesus and embrace him for righteousnesse For the Apostle doth not call them Ministers of the letter and of the old Testament because they did preach the law to humble and leade unto Christ but because they preached the law for righteousnesse without Christ whom he calls the spirit vers 17. and therefore cals them the Ministers of the letter and their Ministry of death and condemnation there is something in the law which is of perpetuall use and something which is but for a time the vis coactiva legis as some call it i. the force of the law to condemn and curse to hold a man under the curse and to hold a man under the power of sin which the Apostle cals the strength of the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 is but for a time and is but accidentall to the law and may be separated from it and is separated indeed from it as soon as ever the soul is in Christ Rom. 8.1 he is then free from the obligation of it to perform personall and perfect obedience to it that so he may be just also from the malediction and curse of it if he be not thus just But that which is of perpetuall use in it is not only the directive power of it but this preparing and humbling vertue of it for if all men by nature Jewes and Gentiles are apt to be puft up with their own righteousnesse and to blesse themselves in their own righteousnesse and so to feel no such need of Christ then this humbling work of the law to slay men of all their fond conceits and foolish confidences in their own righteousnesse and to make men feel the horrible nature of sinne by revealing the curse and malediction due to it is of morall and perpetuall use And hence it is that though the Gospell strictly taken as is intimated Thesis 110. hath no terrour properly in it because thus it reveals nothing but reconciliation through Christs righteousnesse applyed by saith yet the Gospel largely taken for that doctrine which reveals the glad tidings of Christ already come so there is terrour in it because in this respect the Gospell makes use of the law and confirms what is morall and perpetuall therein The sin and terrour which the Gospell largely taken makes use of out of the Law are but subservient to the Gospel strictly taken or for that which is principally and most properly Gospel for thereby the righteousnesse and free-grace and love of the Lord Jesus and pretiousnesse and greatnesse of both are the more clearly illustrated The law of it selfe wounds and kils and rather drives from Christ then unto Christ but in the hand of the Gospel or as Christ handles it so it drives the soul unto Christ and as hath been shewn is the means to that end and 't is a most false and nauseous doctrine to affirm that love only drawes the soul to Christ unlesse it be understood with this caution and notion viz. love as revealed to a sinner and condemned for sin which sin and condemnation as the law makes known so the Gospel makes use of to drawn unto Christ If indeed the Gospel did vulnerare ut vulneraret i. wound that it may wound and terrifie only which the law doth then it saith Chamier was all one with law which Bellarmine pleads for but when it wounds that it may heal this is not contrary but agreeable to the office of a good Physitian whose chiefe work is to heal and may well sute with the healing Ministry of the Lord Jesus and hence we see that although Christ was sent to preach the Gospel yet he came to confirm the law in the Ministry of the Gospel and therefore shews the spirituall sins against the law more clearly and
the heavy plagues for the breach of it more fully then the Scribes and Pharises he that is angry with his brother is a murderer and he that cals him fool is in danger of hell fire Mat. 5.22 Peter was no Minister of the old Testament because he first convinced and prickt the Iews to the heart for their murder of Christ Iesus Paul was no such Minister neither when as he would evince our justification by Christs righteousnesse only in that he begins and spends so much time in proving Gentiles and Iews to be under sin and wrath notwithstanding all the excuses of the one and priviledges of the other as appears in his three first chapters to the Romans but herein they were Gospel preachers Nor can it with any colour of reason be thought that the Prophets in the old Testament were herein Ministers of the letter viz. when they did first wound and then heal first humble by the law and then revive by the Gospel Mr. Saltmarsh hath been so blinded with this notion of the old Testament Ministry that to make this use of the law in preaching the Gospel or to hold forth the promises of grace to them that are qualified with the grace of the promise as the old Testament Prophets did is to give as he thinks the wine of the Gospel burning hot as the covetous gentleman did to his guests and another whom I spare to name professeth That the old Testament because it urgeth the law to humble containeth little good news but much bad news but â—ow when Christ saith Go preach the Gospel thereby he would have them he saith Ministers of the new Testament to preach glad tidings nothing but Gospel but no had bidings not a jot of the law untill men positively reject the glad tidings of the Gospel If these men speak true then neither Peter in his preaching nor Paul in his writings nor Christ himself in his Ministry were Ministers of the new Testament but did overheat their wine and preach much bad tidings to the people of God Verily if this stuff be not repented of the Lord hath a time to visit for these inventions 2. Some object Gal. 3.24 25. That the children of the old Testament were under the law as their pedagogue to lead them to Christ but now the Apostle saith we are no longer under this Schoolmaster who are sons of God in the new Testament Be it so that the sons of God under the new Testament are past the terrouring of this Schoolmasters is it not therefore the work of the new Testament Ministry to preach the law unto servants and slaves to sin and Satan in new Testament times No saith the same auâ—hor for this is to preach bad news this is no good news to say Thou art condemned for these things for the Gospel saith thus Thou poor drunkard thou proud woman here is a gracious God that hath loved thee and sent Christ to die for thee and Ministers to make it known to thee and here is everlasting salvation by him only because thou art a sinner thou art now free from damnation fear not that Christ hath loved thee therefore obey him if not thou shalt not be damned that is done away already c. I would know whether a proud woman or a poor drunkard a villain who never yet beleeved are in a state of condemnation I or no I have read indeed that There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 but never of any such freedom to them that are out of Christ unlesse it was only in destination and merit and I have read that we are by nature children of wrath while dead in sin Eph. 2 1 2 3. but never of this viz. that we are in favour while we be in our sin much lesse that we are to beleeve this because we are such If therefore such persons be in a state of wrath and death and condemnation is not this like the old false prophets crying peace peace and salvation where there is no peace There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa. 48. ult Isa. 57. ult This is truth before they reject the Gospel is it not This the law saith say some true But is not this confirmed by the Ministry of the Gospel also Iob. 3. ult He that beleeves not the wrath of God abides upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was upon him before he did beleeve and when he beleeves not it abides where it did Must the Ministers of the new Testament therefore preach lies and falshoods and tell proud women and poor drunkards and villains before they refuse the Gospel by unbelief that the Lord Iesus loves them and that they need not fear condemnation when the Scripture hath shut up all men under it that the promise by faith might be given to those that beleeve and them only What is this Gospel Ministry but to tell men they are whole and not sick to death but healed before they come to the Physitian the Lord Iesus surely that is Gospel Ministry which advanceth Christ not onely in word but in power in the hearts of poor sinners but doth this Ministry advance the Physitians custome and honour which where it comes must first tell all the crue of wretched drunkards proud persons and villains that they are already well and whole loved and pardoned blessed and saved before ever they come to the Lord Jesus suppose therefore as some may say that servants and slaves to sin may have the Law preacht to them yet the sons and children of God have no use of it in that respect now 't is true I grant not as the servants have under the new Testament nor yet as the sons of God had under the old for the children of God under the old Testament had need of this Schoolmaster to leade them to Christ to come and ad Christum typecum i. to Christ typed out in sacrifices and oblations high Priest and Altar and so it led them to Christ afar off and as it were a great way about but it doth not follow that there is no use of the Law therefore to be a Schoolmaster still to leade unto Christ immediatly and already come those that are servants to sin under the new Testament have need of the law to shew them the condemnation and curse under which they lie by nature and are now actually under but the sons of God for whom Christ is made a curse are not thus under it and therefore have not this use of it but only to shew that curse and condemnation which they do of themselves deserve and therefore the holy Apostle when he was in Christ and did live unto God he shewes us how he did live unto God viz. by dying to the Law and how he did die to the Law and that was by the Law i. as it did shew him his condemnation he did live to God in his justification as it did shew him his sin and wants
Gospel makes an offer of Christ and salvation and remission of sins to all sinners where it comes yea to all sinners as sinners and as miserable yea though they have sinned long by unbeleef as is evident Hos. 14.1 Rev. 3.17 Ier. 3 2â— Isa. 55.1 all are invited to come unto these waters freely without money or price these things no man doubts of that knows the Gospel but the question is not whether Remission of sins and reconciliation in the Gospel belong to sinners but whether they belong to sinners immediately as sinners not whether they are merited by Christs death and offered out of his rich grace immediately to sinners but whether they are actually and immediately their own so as they may challenge them thus as their own from this as from a full and sufficient evidence viz. because they are sinners and because they see themselves sinners for we grant that Jesus Christ came into the world actually to save sinners yet mediatly by faith and then they may see salvation that he justifieth also the ungodly but how immediatly no but mediatly by faith Rom. 3.5 and that where sin abounds grace abounds to whom â—o all sinners no but mediatly to all those only who by â—aith receive this grace Rom. 5.17 so that the Gospel reveals no actuall love and reconciliation immediatly to a sinner as a sinner but mediatly to a sinner as a beleeving and broken-hearted sinner and the Scripture is so cleare in this point that whoever doubts of it must caecutire cum sole and we may say to them as Paul to the Galathians O foolish men who hath bewitched you that you should not see this truth For though Christ came to â—ave sinners yet he pâ—ofesseth that he came not to call the righteous but the sick sinners Mat. 9.13 though God justifieth the ungodly yet 't is such an ungodly man as beleeveth in him whose faith is imputed unto righteousnesse Rom 3.5 though grace abounds where sin abounds yet 't is not to all sinners for then all should be saved but to such as receive abundance of grace by faith Rom. 5.17 although God holds forth Christ to be a propitiation for sinners yet it 's expresly said to be mediatly through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.24.25 although the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise might be given yet it is not said to be immediatly given to sinners as sinners but mediatly to all that beleeve and in one word though it be true that Christ died for sinners and enemies that they might have remission of sins then procured and merited for them yet we never actually have nor receive â—his remission and consequently cannot see it as our own untill we doe beleeve for unto this truth saith Peter do all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Act. 10.43 and hence it is that as all the Prophets preached the actual favour of God only to sinners as beleevers so the Apostles never preached it in New Testament times otherwise and hence Peter Act. 2.38 doth not tell the sorrowfull Jews that they were sinners and that God loved them and that Christ had died for them and that their sins were pardoned because they were sinners but he first exhorts them to repent that so they might receive remission of sins nor doth Paul tell any man that salvation belonged to him because he is a sinner but if thou beleeve with all thy heart thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.5 6 7. if the love of God be revealed to a sinner as a sinner this must be either 1. by the witnesse of the Law but this is impossible for if the curse of God be herein revealed only to a sinner as a sinner then the love of God cannot but the Law curseth every sinner Gal 3.10 Or 2. by the Light and witnesse of the Gospel but this cannot be for it reveals life and salvation only to a beleever and confirms the sentence of the Law against such a sinner as beleeves not Ioh. 3.17 36. he that beleeves not is condemned already not only for unbeleef as some say for this doth but aggravate condemnation but also for sin by which man is first condemned before he beleeves if the Apostle may be beleeved Rom. 3.19 and if a man be not condemned for sin before he beleeve then he is not a sinner before he beleeve for look as Christ hath taken away any mans condemnation in his death just so hath he taken away his sin 3. Or else by the witnesse and testimony of Gods spirit but this is flat contrary to what the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.26 with 4 6. ye are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Iesus and because ye are sons not sinners he hath sent the spirit of his son crying Abba Father Gal. 4.4 5 6 and verily if the love of God belong to sinners as sinners then all sinners shall certainly be saved for a quatenus ad omne valâ—â— consequentia so that by this principle as sinne hath abounded actually to condemn all so grace hath abounded actually to save all which is most pernicious nor do I know what should make men embrace this principle unlesse that they either secretly think that the strait gate and narrow way to life is now so wide and broad that all men shall in Gospel times enter in thereat which is prodigious or else they must imagine some Arminian universall Redemption and reconciliation and so put all men in a salvable and reconciled estate such as it is before faith and then the evidence and ground of their assurance must be built on this false and crazy foundation viz. Iesus Christ had died to reconcile and so hath reconciled all sinners But I am a sinner And therefore I am reconciled If this be the bottome of this Gospel-Ministry and preaching free grace as doubtlesse 't is in some then I would say these things only 1. That this doctrine under a colour of free-grace doth as much vilifie and take off the price of free grace in Christs death as any I know for what can vilifie this grace of Christ more then for Christ so to shed his bloud as that Peter and Abraham in heaven shall have no more cause to thank Iesus Christ for his love therein then Iudas and Cain in hell it being equally shed for one as much as for the other 2. That this is a false bottom for faith to rest upon and gather evidence from for 1. if Christ hath died for aâ—l he will then certainly save all for so Paul reasons Rom. 8.32 and 6.10 he hath given his Sonne to death for us how shall â—e not but with him give us all other things and therefore he will give faith and give repentance and give perseverance and give eternall life also which is most false 2. If he did not pray for all then he hath not died for all Ioh. 17.9 which Scripture never yet received scarce
or five or four there being no naturall justice in the number of seven more then in the number of six or four but the answer is easie that if man may give unto God superstitiously too many or prophanely too few and if the appointment of God hath declared it self for a seventh and that the giving of this seventh be most just and equall then let it be considered whether it be not most satisfactory to a scrupling conscience to allow God a seventh day which he hath appointed which is confessed to be most just and perpetually equall and consequently morall and if there be a morall and perpetuall equity to give God one day in seven then 't is no matter whether there be any more naturall equity therein then in one in five or six the disputers of this worlâ— may please themselves with such speculations and shifts but the wisdom of God which hath already appointed one day in seven rather then in six or ten should be adored herein by humble mindes in cutting out this proportion of time with far greater equity then man can now readily see 7. Because deep corruption is the ground of this opinion the plucking up of Gods bounds and land-marks of a seventh is to put the stakes into the Churches hands to set them where she pleaseth or if she set them at a seventh where God would have them yet that this may be submitted to not because God pleaseth but because the Church so pleaseth not because of Gods will and determination but because of the Churches will and determination that so it being once granted that the Church hath liberty to determine of such a day she may not be denied liberty of making any other holidaies or holy things in the worship and service of God and that this is the main scope and root of this opinion is palpably evident from most of the writings of our English adversaries in this controversie Thesis 123. A seventh day therefore is primarily morall yet as was formerly said Thesis 48. there is something else in this commandment which is secundarily morall viz. This or that particular seventh day I will not say that it is accidentally morall as some do but rather secundarily and consequently morall for it is not morall firstly because it is this particular seventh but because it hath a seventh part of time divinely proportioned and appointed for rest falling into it and of which it participates to give almes to the needy is a morall duty and primarily morall but to give this or that quantity may be morall also but it is secundarily morall because it flowes ex consequenti onely from the first for if we are to give almes according to our ability and others necessity then this or that particular quantity thus suting their necessity must be given which is also a morall duty so 't is in this point of the Sabbath Thesis 224. Hence it follows that this Commandment enjoynes two things 1. More generally a seventh 2 More particularly this or that seventh and in speciall that seventh from the Creation this or that seventh are to be kept holy because of a seventh part of time appointed falling into them A seventh day also is to be kept holy by vertue of the Commandement yet not in generall but with speciall eye and respect to that particular seventh wherein this generall is involved and preserved That seventh from the Creation is commanded because of a seventh falling into it and a seventh also is commanded yet with a speciall eye to that seventh wherein it is involved And therefore 't is a vaine objection to affirm that if a seventh be commanded that then â—o particular seventh is or if any particular seventh be so that then a seventh is not for the Commandement we see hath respect to both for what is there more frequent in Scripture then for generall duties to be wrapt up and set forth in some particular things instances and examples and consequently both commanded together and after narrow search into this Commandement we shall finde both the generall and particular seventh not onely inferring one the other but both of them in a manner expresly mentioned Thesis 125. When those that plead for the morality of the fourth Command in respect of a seventh day would prove it to be morall because it is part of the Decalogue and set in the heart of it with a speciall note of remembrance affixed to it c. Mr. Ironside and others doe usually dash all such reasonings out of countenance with this answer viz. That by this argument That particular seventh from the creation is morall which we see is changed for say they that also is set in the heart of the Decalogue with a speciall note of remembrance also But the reply from what hath ben said is easie viz. That that also is indeed morall only 't is secondarily morall not primarily and therefore as we have shewn was mutable and changeable the primary morality in a seventh immutably remaining the morall duty of observing a seventh day is not changed but only the day If Mr. Primrose could prove that there is nothing else commanded in this fourth command but only that particular seventh from the creation he had then enough to shew that this day being justly changed the Commandment is not morall of perpetuall but out or this particular seventh which now is changed himself acknowledgeth that out of it may be gathered the morality of a day and why not of a seventh day also as well as of a day He saith that it is a bold assertion to say that this genus of a seventh is herein commanded But why is it not as bold to affirm the same of a day for out of that particular seventh whence he would raise the genus of a day we may as easily and far more rationally collect the genus of a seventh day Thesis 126. Nor will it follow that because a seventh is morall that therefore any one of the seven daies in a week may be made a Christian Sabbath For 1. We do not say that it is any seventh but A seventh determined and appointed of God for holy rest which is herein commanded 2. The Lord hath in wisdom appointed such a seventh as that man may have six whole daies together to labour in and hence it follows that divine determination without crossing that wisdom could not possibly fall upon any other daies in the Cycle of seven but either upon the last of seven which was the Jewish or the first of seven which now is as shall be shewn the Christian Sabbath 3. As God hath appointed one day in seven for mans rest so in his wisdom he so orders it as that it shall be also a day of Gods rest and that is not to be found in any day of the week but either in the last of seven wherein the Father rested or in the first of seven wherein the Son rested from his work also Thesis 127. 'T
rest as this and as afterward it sell out in the finishing of the work of redemption it might have been as well upon such a day as this but it was not then so and hence the rest day fell as it were accidentally upon this and hence it is that Gods example of rest on that particular day doth not necessarily binde us to observe the same seventh day morall examples not alway binding in their accidentals as the case is here although it be true that in their essentials they alway do Thesis 134. There is no strength in that reason that because one day in seven is to be consecrated unto God that therefore one yeere in seven is to be so also as of old it was among the Jewâ—â— for beside what hath been said formerly viz. that one yeere in seven was meerly ceremoniall one day in seven is not so saith Wallaeus but morall God gave no example whose example is onely in morall things of resting one yeere in seven but he did of resting one day in seven I say beside all this it is observable what Iunius notes herein The Lord saith he challengeth one day in seven jure creationis by right of creation and hence requires it of all men created but he challenged one yeere in seven jure peculiaris possessionis i. by right of peculiar possession the Land of Canaan being the Lords land in a peculiar manner even a type of Heaven which every other Country is not and therefore there is no reason that all men should give God one seventh yeer as they are to give him one seventh day By the observation of one day in seven saith he men professe themselves to be the Lords and to belong unto him who created and made them and this profession all men are bound unto but by observation of one yeere in seven they professed thereby that their Countrey was the Lords and themselves the Lords Tenants therein which all Countreys not being types of Heaven cannot nor ought to doe and therefore there is not the like reason urged to the observation of a seventh yeere as of a seventh day Thesis 135. Look therefore as 't is in the second Commandement although the particular instituted worship is changed under the Gospel from what it was under the Law yet the generall duty required therein of observing Gods own instituted worship is morall and unchangeable so t is in the fourth Commandement where though the particular day be changed yet the duty remains morall and unchangeable in observing a seventh day there is therefore no reason to imagine that the generall duty contained in this precept is not morall because the observance of the particular day is mutable and yet this is the fairest colour but the strongest refuge of lies which their cause hath who hold a seventh day to be meerly ceremoniall Thesis 136. If it be a morall duty to observe one day in seven then the observation of such a day no more infringeth Christian liberty then obedience to any other morall Law one part of our Christian liberty consisting in our conformity to it as our â—ondage consists in being left to sinne against it and therefore that argument against the morality of one day in seven is very feeble as if Christian liberty was hereby infringed Thesis 137. It was meet that God should have speciall service from man and therefore meet for himselfe to appoint a speciall time for it which time though it be a circumstance yet it s such a circumstance as hath a speciall influence into any businesse not onely humane but also divine and therefore if it be naturally it may be also ethically and morally good contributing much also to what is morally good and therefore the determination of such a time for length frequency and holinesse may be justly taken in among the morall Laws he that shall doubt of such a powerfull influence of speciall time for the furthering of what is specially good may look upon the art skill trade learning nay grace it self perhaps which he hath got by the help of the improvement of time a prophane and religious heart are seen and accounted of according to their improvements of time more or lesse in holy things Time is not therefore such a circumstance as is good only because commanded as the place of the Temple was but it is commanded because it is good because time nay much time reiterated in a weekly seventh part of time doth much advance and set forward that which is good Thesis 138. That Law which is an homogeneall part of the morall Law is morall but the fourth Commandment is such a part of the morall Law and therefore it is morall I do not say that that Law which is set and placed among the morall Laws in order of writing as our adversaries too frequently mistake us in that it is therefore morall for then it might be said as wel that the Sabbath is ceremoniall because it it is placed in order of writing among things ceremoniall Lev. 23. but if it be one link of the chain and an essentiall part of the morall Law then it s undoubtedly morall but so it is for its part of the Decalogue nine parts whereof all our adversaries we now contend with confesse to be morall and to make this fourth ceremoniall which God hath set in the heart of the Decalogue and commanded us to remember to keep it above any other Law seems very unlike to truth to a serene and sober minde not disturbed with such mud which usually lies at the bottome of the heart and turns light into darknesse and why one ceremoniall precept should be shuffled in among the rest which are of another tribe lineage and language hath been by many attempted but never soundly cleared unto this day surely if this Commandment be not morall then there are but nine Commandments left to us of the morall Law which is expresly contrary to Gods account Deut. 4. To affirm that all the commands of the Decalogue are morall yet every one in his proportion and degree and that this of the Sabbath is thus morall viz. in respect of the purpose and intent of the Lawgiver viz. That some time he set apart but not morall in respect of the letter in which it is exprest it is in some sence formerly explained true but in his sence who endeavours to prove the Sabbath ceremoniall while he saith it is morall is both dark and false for if it be said to be morall only in respect of some time to be set apart and this time an individuum vagum an indeterminate time beyond the verges of a seventh part of time then there is no more morality granted to the fourth Commandment then to the Commandment of building the temple and observing the new moons because in Gods command to build the Temple the generall purpose and intention of the Lawgiver was that some place be appointed for his publike worship and in commanding to
the Law but the hardnesse of their stony hearts which the Law writ upon them was not able to overcome and t is true that the stony Tables did signifie stony hearts but its false that the writing on stone did not signifie continuance also according to Scripture phrase For all the children of God have stony hearts by nature now God hath promised to write his Law upon such hearts as are by nature stony and his writing of them there implies the continuance of them there so that both these may stand together and the similitude is fully thus viz. The whole Law of God was writ on Tables of stone to continue there so the whole Law of God is writ on stony hearts by nature to continue thereon Thesis 144. Only morall Laws and all morall Laws are thus summarily and generally honoured by God the ten Commandements being Christian pandects and common heads of all morall duties toward God and men Under which generals all the particular morall duties in the Commentaries of the Prophets and Apostles are virtually comprehended and contained and therefore Mr. Primrose's argument is weake who thinks that this honour put upon the Decalogue doth not argue it to be morall Because then many other particular morall Laws set down in Scripture not in Tables of stone but in parchments of the Prophets and Apostles should not be morall For we doe not say that all morall Laws particularly were thus specially honoured but that all and only morall Laws summarily were thus honoured in which summaries all the particulars are contained and in that respect equally honoured It may affect ones heart with great mourning to see the many inventions of mens hearts to blot out this remembrance of the Sabbath day they first cast it out of Paradise and shut it out of the world untill Moses time when in Moses time it s published as a Law and crowned with the same honour as all other morall Laws yet then they make it to be but a ceremoniall Law continuing onely until the comming of Christ after which time it ceaseth to be any Law at all unlesse the Churches constitution shall please to make it so which is worst of all Thesis 145. Every thing indeed which was published by Gods immediate voyce in promulgating of the Law is not morall and common to all but some things so spoken may be peculiar and proper to the Jews because some things thus spoken were promises or motives only annexed to the Law to perswade to the obedience thereof but they were not Laws for the question is whether all Laws spoken and writ thus immediately were not morall but the argument which some produce against this is From the promise annexed to the fifth Command concerning long life and from the motive of redemption out of the house of bondage in the preface to the Commandments both which they say were spoken immediatly but yet were both of them proper unto the Iews But suppose the promise annexed to the fifth Commandement be proper to the Jews and ceremoniall as Master Primrose pleads which yet many strong reasons from Eph. 6.2 may induce one to deny what is this to the question which is not concerning Promises but Commandements and Laws Suppose also that the motive in the Preface of the Commandments literally understood is proper to the Jews yet this is also evident that such reasons and motives as are proper to some and perhaps ceremoniall may be annexed to morall laws which are common to all nor wil it follow that laws are therefore not common because the motives thereto are proper We that dwel in America may be perswaded to love and feare God which are morall duties in regard of our redemption and deliverances from out of the vast sea storms we once had and the tumults in Europe which now are which motives are proper to our selves Promises and motives annexed to the Commandements come in as means to a higher end viz. obedience to the Laws themselves and hence the Laws themselves may be morall and these not so though immediatly spoken because they be not chiefly nor lastly intended herein I know Wallaeus makes the preface to the Commandments a part of the first Commandment and therefore he would hence infer that some part at least of a Commandment is proper to the Jews but if these words contain a motive pressing to the obedience of the whole how is it possible that they should be a part of the law or of any one law For what force of a law can there be in that which only declares unto us who it is that redeemed them out of Egypts bondage For it cannot be true which the same Author affirms that in these words is set forth only who that God is whom we are to have to be our God in the first Commandement but they are of larger extent shewing us who that God is whom we are to worship according to the first Commandement and that with his own worship according to the second and that reverently according to the third and whose day we are to sanctifie according to the fourth and whose wil we are to doe in all duties of love toward man according to the severall duties of the second Table and therefore this declaration of God is no more a part of the first then of any other Commandment and every other Commandement may challenge it as a part of themselves as well as the first Thesis 146. It is a truth as immovable as the pillars of Heaven That God hath given to all men universally a rule of life to conduct them to their end Now if the whole Decalogue be not it what shall The Gospel is the rule of our faith but not of our spirituall life which flows from faith Gal. 2.20 Ioh. 5.24 The law therefore is the rule of our life now if nine of these be a compleat rule without a tenth exclude that one and then who sees not an open gap made for all the rest to goe out at also For where wil any man stop if once this principle be laid viz. That the whole law is not the rule of life May not Papists blot out the second also as some of Cassanders followers have done all but two and as the Antinomians at this day do all and have they not a good ground laid for it who may hence safely say that the Decalogue is not a rule of life for all Mr. Primrose that he might keep himselfe from a broken head here sends us for salve to the light of nature and the testimony of tbe Gospel both which saith he maintain and confirm the morality of all the other Commandements except this one of the Sabbath But as it shall appeare that the Law of the Sabbath hath confirmation from both if this direction was sufficient and good so it may be in the mean time considered why the Gentiles who were universall Idolaters and therefore blotted out the light of nature as Mr. Primrose confesseth
if speciall light in them they shall then have more speciall and saving light Thesis 194. As it is no argument that that Law is according to the light of nature which the Gentiles generally practised for then Polytheisme and Sacrificing of beasts yea wil-worship should be according to the light of nature because these sins were generally practised so it is no argument that that Law is not according to the light of nature which they generally neglected and therefore suppose the Gentiles never observed a Sabbath yet this is no argument that it is therefore no morall Law I know M. Primrose thinks that the Sacrifices were by an instinct of nature Because it dictates that all sinnes whereof mortall men are guilty are to be expiated by Sacrifice and Offerings to God offended Which assertion hath some truth in it if those words By Sacrifices and Offerings be left out for what light of nature could make men think that an infinite Deity offended could be pacified by such carnall observances as the Sacrifices of brute beasts and their blood which never offended This custome the Gentiles might retain as a Relique of former instruction and institution by their first Fathers after the flood which being matters meerly ceremonious might be retained more firmly then other morall duties of great consequence however we see that the practice of the Gentiles is no fit guide to direct that which is according to the law and light of nature Thesis 195. If more narrow enquiry be made what the Law of nature is these distinctions must be observed 1. The Law of nature is either of pure or corrupt nature The Law of pure nature was the Law of God writ on Adams heart in innocency which was nothing else but that holy bent and inclination of the heart within to act according to the holy Law of God revealed or Covenant made with him without and thus Aquinas places the law of nature in this inclination The Law of corrupt nature is that dimme light left in the minde and morall inclination left in the will in respect of some things contained in the Law of God which the Apostle cals Conscience Rom. 2.15 which naturall conscience is nothing but the remnants and generall principles of the law of pure nature left in all men since the fall which may be increased by more knowledge of the Law of God or more diminished and defaced by the wickednesse of man Titus 1.15 2. The Law of corrupt nature is taken either more largely or strictly As it is taken more largely so it comprehends all that which is agreeable and sutable to naturall reason and that from a naturall innate equity in the thing when it is made known either by divine instruction or humane wisdom although it be not immediatly known by the light of nature and thus many judiciall laws are naturall and morall though positive and of binding nature unto this day As it is taken strictly so it comprehends no more but what nature immediatly knows or may know without externall instruction as parents to be honoured mans life to be preserved 3. The Law of nature strictly taken are either principles of nature or conclusions from such principles The principles of the law of nature are in some respect many yet may be reduced to this one head viz. That good is to be followed evill to be avoided Conclusions are deductions from those principles like severall streames from the same spring which though lesse evident then the principles yet may be readily found out by discourse and sad search 4. Conclusions arising from these principles are more immediate or mediate Immediate are made by Aquinas to be two 1. Love God with all thy heart 2. Love thy neighbour as thy selfe Mediate are such as arise from the former principles by means of those two more immediate conclusions and of this kinde are some as he thinks yea all the laws of the Decalogue if right reason may be judge Now to apply these Thesis 196. If the question be whether the Sabbath be known by the light of pure nature the answer is yea for Adams minde knew of it and his heart was inclined and bent to the keeping of it although it be true that now this light in corrupt nature as in many other morall duties is almost wholly extinct and worn out as hath been formerly shewn And to speak plainly this great and first impression left on mans heart in pure nature is the first rule according to which we are now to judge of what is the law of nature and it serves to dash to peeces and grinde to powder and dust most effectually and strongly the dreams and devices of such as would make the Sabbath not morall because not naturall or not easily known by the present light of corrupt nature when as corrupt nature is no perfect copy but a blotted discovery of some part of the light of nature which was fully imprinted at large in pure nature and therefore it is no wonder if our adversaries so much oppose the Commandment of the Sabbath in the state of innocency such therefore as are otherwise Orthodox in this point and yet make this description of the Law of nature viz. which was written on mans heart in his first first Creation to be both uncertain and impertinent doe unwarily pull down one of the strongest bulwarks and the first that ever God made to defend the morality of the Sabbath there is indeed no expresse Scripture which makes this description of the Law of nature as they object and so it is of many other things which are virtually and for substance contained in the Scripture although there be no formall description set down of the same and the like I say of this description here Thesis 197. If we speak of the Law of nature strictly taken for that which is immediatly and readily known by the common light of nature in all men then it may be safely affirmed that although the Sabbath should not be in this sence naturall yet it will not follow that it is not therefore morall for the moral law once writ on mans heart in pure nature is almost blotted out only some rudera and old rubbish is left of it in a perverse minde and a corrupt heart Eph. 4.18 we see the wisest of the heathens making those things to be morall vertues Iunius instanceth in the Law of private revenge and we know they magnified will-worship which the Scripture condemns as morall vices and sins God would have common-wealths preserved in all places of the world from the inundation and deluge of mans wickednesse and therefore he hath generally printed the notions of the second Table upon mens hearts to set bounds as by sea-banks unto the overflowings thereof and hence it is that they are generally known but he would not have Churches every where and therefore there is but little known concerning matters of the first Table and consequently about this Law of the Sabbath
what Mr. Brabourne and Mr. Primrose have alledged against the same The second Part. LONDON Printed for Iohn Rothwell 1650. The generall Contents about the change of the Sabbath 1. SVfficient Light in the Scriptures for the change of the Sabbath Thes. 1. 2. Apostolicall unwritten-traditions no ground for the change of it Thes. 2. 3. Neither Churches custome or any Imperiall Law ground of the change of it Thes. 3. 4. How the observation of the Christian Sabbath ariseth from the fourth Commandement Thes. 4. 5. How 〈◊〉 day in the week may be called the seventh day Thes. 7 8. 6. The will of God the Efficient cause the Resurrection of Christ the morall cause of the change of the Sabbath Thes. 10. 7. The Asceâ—tion no ground of the change of the Sabbath Thes. 13. 8. The 〈…〉 spoyled in his first Creation by the sin of man hence the Day of Rest may be well changed Thes. 16. 9. Neither the three dayes resting of Christ in the grave nor the 33. yeers of Christs labour the ground of our labour and rest now Thes 18. 10. Not only Christs Resurrection but an affixed Type to the first Sabbath is the ground of the abrogation of it Thes. 20. 11. What the affixed Type to the Sabbath is Thes. 21. 12. The meer exercises of holy duties upon a day are not any true ground to make such a day the Christian Sabbath Thes. 25. 13. How holy duties on a day may evince a Sabbath day Thes. 26. 14. The first day of the week honour'd by the Primitive Churches from the Commandment of the Lord Iesus Thes. 27. 15. The Apostles preaching on the Iewish Sabbath doth not argue it to be the Christian Sabbath Thes. 30. 16. The first day of the week proved to be the Christian Sabbath by Divine Institution Thes. 34. 17. The first place alledged for the Christian Sabbath Acts 20.7 cleared by nine considerations Thes. 35. 18. The second place from 1 Cor. 16.1 2. cleared from seven considerations Thes. 36. 19. The third Scripture Rev. 1.10 cleared by two 〈◊〉 branches Thes. 37. 20. How the Christian Sabbath ariseth from the fourth Commandment although it be not particularly named in it Thes. 40. 21. The error of those especially in the Eastern Churches who observed two Sabbaths Thes. 41. 22. How the work of Redemption may be a ground for all men to observe the Sabbath Thes. 42. 23. How far the Iudgement of God upon prophaners of the Lords Day is of force to evince the holinesse of the Sabbath Thes. 44. The Change of the Sabbath THESIS 1. THe change of this day from the last to the first of the week although it be confirmed by an ancient custome yet the true reason and grounds of so great a change are not so fully known Sacred writings not so expresly setting down as it doth in some things of lesse concernment the causes hereof And many of the Arguments heaped up and multiplyed by some for the change of it which may seem of great weight while they want an adversary at the other end of the Scale to ballance them Yet upon sad examination and search into them they prove too light and consequently occasion the temptation of scrupling the truth and validity of others more cleare We are therefore with more warinesse and humility of mind to search into this Controversie and with much thankfulnesse and modesty to accept that little light which God gives us in greater as well as of much light which he is pleased to lend us in smaller matters Pascimur apertis exercemur obscuris was his speech long since concerning the Scriptures There is no truth so clear but mans loose wit can invent and mint many pernicious Cavils against it and therefore in those things which shine forth with lesse evidence it is no wonder if it casts such blots and staines upon them as that they can fear 〈…〉 discerned Nil magis inimicum veritati acumine 〈…〉 therfore be wise with sobriety remember that in this and such like Controversies the Scriptures were not written to answer all the scruples and objections of Cavillers but to satisfie and stablish the consciences of poor beleevers And verily when I meet with such like speeches and objections as these viz. Where is it expressely said that the old Sabbath is abrogated and what one Scripture is there in the N. Testament declaring expressely that the Lords day is substituted and put in its roome I cannot from such expressions but think and fear that the ignorance of this change in some doth not spring so much from deficiency and want of light on Gods part but rather from perversnes on mans part which will not see nor own the tâ—uth because it is not revealed and dispensed after that manner and fashion of expression as mans wit and phantasie would have it Like Naaman who because the Prophet went not about the cure of his Leprosie in that way and fashion which he would have him did not therefore for a time see that way of cure which God had revealed to him For the Holy Ghost is not bound to write all the principles of Religion under Common-place heads nor to say expressely In this place of Scripture you may see the old Sabbath abrogated and the new instituted for we find no such kind of expressions concerning Pauls Epistles and many books of Scripture that this or that Epistle or book is Canonical which yet we know to be so by other evidences We know also that the Holy Ghost by brief hints of Truth gives occasion of large Comments and by writing about other matters tanquam aliud agens it brings forth to light by the By revelations of great concernment which it saw meet purposely in that manner to make known And as in many other things it hath thus done so especially in this of the Sabbath So that if our hearts like Locks were fitted to Gods Key they would be soon opened to see thorough the difficulties of this point which I confesse of all practicall points hath been most fuâ—l of knots and difficulties to my own weaknesse Thesis 2. To make Apostolicall unwritten inspirations notified and made known in their dayes to the Churches to be the cause of the change of the Day is to plough with a Popish Heifer and to cast that Anchor on which deceivers rely and by which they hope to save themselves when they know not how otherwise to defend their falshoods Thesis 3. To make Ecclesiasticall Custome established 〈◊〉 by the Imperiall Law of Constantine to be the 〈◊〉 of the change is to make a prop for Prelacy and a step to Popery and to open a gap to all humane inventions For if it be in the Churches power to appoint the greatest Holy day why may not any other Rite and Ceremony be imposed also and if it be free to observe this day or not in respect of it selfe because it wants a divine institution and yet necessary to
practice in sports and revellings upon this day beare sufficient witnesse and oh that we had no cause to wash off this spot with our teares from the beautifull and pleasant face of the glorious grace and peace which once shined in the German Churches by whose Graves we may stand weeping and say this is your misery for this your provoking sin Scotland knows best her own integrity whose lights have been burning and shining long in their clearnesse in this particular But England hath had the name and worn this Garland of glory wherewith the Lord hath crowned it above all other Churches But how hath that little flock of slaughter which hath wept for it and preacht and printed and done and suffered for it beene hated and persecuted who have been the scorne and shame and reproach of men but a company of poor weaklings for going out a few miles to hear a faithful painful Preacher from those idle Shepheards who either could not feed them with knowledge and understanding at home or else would not do it through grosse prophanesse or extream idlenesse And now since God hath broken the yoke of their oppressors and set his people at liberty to returne to Sion and her solemne assemblies as in dayes of old and hath given to them the desires of their hearts that they may now be as holy on the Sabbath as they will without any to reproach them at least to countenance such reproaches of them now I say when one would think the precious Sabbaths which so many of Gods servants in former time have brought down to this generation swiming in their teares and prayers and which many in these dayes have so much looked and longed for that every eye should be looking up to Heaven with thankfulnes for these and that every heart should embrace Gods Sabbaths with teares of joyfulnesse and bid this dear and precious friend welcome and lie and rest in their bosome and so I doubt not but that England hath yet may a corner ful of such precious Jewels to whom Gods Sabbathâ— are yet most precious and glorious and who cannot easily forget such blessed seasons and meanes in them whereby if ever the Lord did good unto them they have been so oft refreshed and wherein they have so oft seen God wherein they have so oft met with him and he with them but whose heart will it not make to relent and sigh to hear of late a company not of ignorant debosht persons malignants prelatical and corrupt and carnal men but of such who have many of them in former times given great hopes of some feare of God and much love to Gods Ordinances and Sabbaths and now what hurt the Sabbaths Ordinances of the Lord Jesus therein have done them I know not but it would break ones heart to see what little care there is to sanctifie the Sabbath even by them who think in their judgments that the day is of God What poore preparation for it either in themselves or families what little care to profit by it or to instruct and catehize their families and to bring them also it love with it what secret wearinesse and dead-heartednesse almost wholly unlamented remains upon them what earthly thoughts what liberty in speech about any worldly matter presently after the most warning Sermon is done that the Lord Jesus hath scarce good carcasses and outsides brought him which cannot but threaten more crows to pick them unlesse they repent and yet this is not so sad as to see the loosenesse of mens judgments in this point of the Sabbath whereby some think a Sabbath lawful but not necessary in respect of any command of God nay some think it superstition to observe a weekly Sabbath which should be every day as they imagine they have allegorized Gods Sabbaths and almost all Gods Ordinances out of the world and cast such pretended Antichristian filth and pollution upon them that spiritual men must not now meddle with them nay verily all duties of the moral Law and fruitful obedience and holy walking and sanctification graces and humiliation and such like are the secret contempt of many and the base drudgery for a â—ll-horse and legal Christian rather then for one that is of an Evangelical frame and herein Satan now appears with the ball at his foot and seems to threaten in time to carry all before him and to kick and carry Gods precious Sabbaths out of the world with him and then farewel dear Lord Jesus with all thy sweet love and life if Sabbaths be once taken from us by the blind and bold disputings of wretched men authority as yet upholds them which is no small mercy and the savour of Christs sweetnesse in them and the external brightnesse of the beauty of them do still remaine on many with that strength and glory that it is not good policy for the prince of darknesse now to imploy all his forces against the gates of the Sabbath but the time hastens wherein the assault will be great and fierce and I much fear that for the secret contempt of these things the Lord in dreadful justice will strengthen delusions about this day to break forth and prosper and then pray you poor Saints of God and hidden ones that your flight may not be in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day but woe then to them that give suâ—k woe then to the high Ministry that should have kept these gates woe then to that loose and wanton generation rising up who think such outward formes and observation of dayes to be too course and too low and mean a work for their enobled spirits which are now raised higher and neerer God then to look much after Sabbaths or Ordinances graces or duties or any such outward forms for I doubt not but if after all the light and glory shining in England concerning Gods Sabbaths if yet they are not thereby become precious but that the Lord will make them so by his plagues if this sin once get head God will burne up the whole world and make himself-dreadful to all flesh untill he hath made unto himself a holy people and a humble people that shall love the dust and take pleasure in the very stones of his house and love the place where his Honour dwels and long for the time wherein his presence and blessing shall appear and be poured out upon the Sabbath day It 's matter of the greatest mourning that they above all other should trouble Gods rest wherein perhaps their souls have found so much rest or might have done that in these times wherein the Lord Jesus was coming out to give unto his house his Ordinances and unto his people his Sabbaths and dayes of rest every way that now they above all others should offer to pull them out of his hand tread them under foot and hereby teach all the prophane rout in the world to do the like with a quiet conscience and without any check by their reasonings that now when
and weaknesse it made him die unto it and expect no life from it and so live unto God in his sanctification for so the words are I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God Gal. 2.19 the issue therefore is this that if the doctrine be taken strictly pro lege fidei as Chamier cals it or that doctrine which shews the way of mans righteousnesse and justification only there indeed all the works of the law all terrours and threatnings are to be excluded and nothing else but peace pardon grace favour eternall reconciliation to be beleeved and received and therefore it 's no new Testament Ministry to urge the Law or to thunder out any terrour here for in this sence it 's true which is commonly received that in the Law there are terrours but in the Gospel none but if the Gospel be taken largely for all that doctrine which brings glad tidings of Christ already come and shews the love of God in the largest extent of it and the illustrations and confirmations of it from the law then such servants of Jesus Christ who hold forth the law to make way for grace and to illustrate Châ—ists love must either be accounted New Testament Ministers or else as hath been shewne Christ Jesus and his Apostles were none Thesis 115. The second is a professed neglect and casting off the work of repentance and mourning for sin nay of asking pardon of sin for if the Law be no rule to shew man his duty why should any man then trouble himself with sorrow for any sin for if it be no rule to him how should any thing be sin to him and if so why then should any ask pardon of it or mourn under it why should not a man rather harden his heart like an Adamant and make his forehead brasse and iron even unto the death against the feeling of any sin but what doctrine is more crossâ— to the Spirit of grace in Gospel times then this which is a Spirit of mourning Zâ—c 12.10 11. what doctrin more crosse to the expresse comand of Christ from heaven then this who writes from heaven to the Church of Ephesus to remember from whence she is fallen and repent Rev. 2.5 what doctrine more crosse to the example of holy men then this who after they were converted then repented and lamented most of all Ier. 31.18.19 2 Cor. 7.9.10 11. what doctrine more crosse to the salvation of souls the mercy of God and forgivenesse of sin for so the promise runs if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins 1 Joh. 1.9 what doctrine so crosse to the Spirit of the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart that when a mans sins are greatest which is after conversion because now against more love and more nearnesse to Jesus Christ that now a beleevers sorrow should be least monkish and macerating sorrow indeed is loathsome but godly sorrow is sweet and glorious doubtlesse those mens blindenesse is exceeding great who know not how to reconcile joy and sorrow in the same subject who cannot with one eye behold their free justification and therein daily rejoyce and the weaknesse and imperfection of their sanctification with another eye and for that mourn Thesis 116. The third thing is a denying sanctification the honour of a faithfull and true witnesse or cleare evidence of our justification for if a beleever be not bound to look unto the Law as his rule why should he then have any eye to his sanctâ—fication which is nothing else but our habituall conformity to the Law as inherent corruption is nothing else but habituall disagreement with it although sanctification be no part of our righteousnesse before God and in this sence is no evidence of our justification yet there is scarce any clearer truth in all the Scripâ—uâ—e then this viz. that it is an evidence that a man is in a justified estate and yet this leven which denies the Law to be a Christians rule of life hath sowred some mens spiritâ— against this way of evidencing It is a doubtfull evidence saith Dâ— Crisp an argument not an evidence it is a carnall and an inferiour evidence the last and the least not the first evidence it is an evidence if justification be first evident say Den and Saltmarsh some men may be led to these opinions from other principles then a plain denyall of the directive use of the Law but this I feare lies undermost however let these two things be examined 1. Whether sanctification be a doubtfull evidence 2. Whether it be a carnall inferiour and may not be a first evidence Thesis 117. If to be under the power and dominion of sin and Originall corruption be a sure and certain evidence of actuall condemnation so that he that saith he knows Christ and hath fellowshâ—p with him and yet walks in darknesse and keeps not his Commandments is a lyar 1 Ioh. 1.6 2.4 why may not sanctification then whereby we are set free from the power of sin be a sure and certain evidence of our actuall justification for hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements 1 Joh. 2 3. whereby it is manifest that the Apostle is not of their mindes who think the negative to be true viz. that they that keep not Christs commandments are in a state of perdition but they will not make the affirmative true viz. that they that keep his Commandments may thereby know that they are in a state of salvation If Jesus Christ be sent to blesse his people in turning them from their iniquities Act. 3. ult then they that know they are turned from their iniquities by him may know certainly that they are blessed in him and if they be not thus turned they may know certainly that they are yet accursed If godlinesse hath the promises of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 and if the free grace and actuall love of God be revealed clearly to us only by some promise how then is sanctification so near akin to godlinesse excluded from being any evidence is there no inherent grace in a beleever that no inherent sanctification can be a true evidence verily thus some do think but what is this but an open gracelesse profession thrr every beleever is under the power of inherent sin if he hath not the being of any inherent grace or if there be any inherent grace yet it is say some so mixt with corruption and is such a spotted and blurd evidence that no man can discern it I confesse such an answer would well become a blinde Papist who never knew where grace grew for so they dispute against certitudo salutis certitudine fidei when the conclusion of faith ariseth from such a proposition as is the word of God and the assumption the testimony of Gods Spirit to a mans own experience of the work of God in his heart but it ill beseems a
Minister of the Gospel of Christ to plead for such popish ignorance in a Christian as can see no further then his own buttons and that cannot discern by the Spirit of God the great and wonderfull change from darknesse to light from death to life from Satan to God the visible work of God and graces of the Spirit of God the things which the Apostle cals love are frâ—ely given to them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Peters was imperfect blotted and mixed and yet he could say Lord thou knowest I love thee Ioh. 21.17 the poor doubting mourning man in the Gospel had some faith and was able to see it and say certainly Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Could Paul discern without extraordinary revelation because he speaks as an ordinary Christian an inner man and a Law in his minde delighting in the Law of God yet mixed with a Law in his members leading him captive into the Law of sin and cannot we and yet the Doctor doth cast such stains upon sincerity universall obedience love to the brethren c. and heaps up the same cavils against the truth of them in the souls of the Saints as the Devil himself usually doth by sinfull suspitions and suggestions when God lets him loose for a season to buffet his people that so they may never know if it were possible what great things the Lord hath done for their souls and whoever reades his book shall finde that he makes a Beleever such a creature as cannot tell certainly whether he be a sincere-hearted man or an arrand hypocrite wheâ—her he be under the power of sin and Satan or not whether one man can be discerned from another to be a Saint or a devill or whether he hath any charity and goes love to them that are Saints from them that are not and so abouâ— to befool and non-plus and puzzle the people of God as the story relates of the German woman desirous to rid the house of her husband who first making him drunk and casting him into a sleep did so shave him and dresse him and cut and clip him that when he awakened he knew not what to thinke of himselfe or to say who he was for by looking upon and in himself he thought he was the womans husband and yet by his new cut and habit he almost beleeved that he was a Fryar as his wife affirmed Sanctification is an evidence alway in it selfe of a justified estate although it be not alway evident unto us and therefore what though a Christian sees his sanctification and graces to day and cannot see them but is doubâ—full about them suppose to morrow shall he therefore reject it as a doubtfull evidence which is ever clear enough in it self though not alway to our discerning for I would know what evidence can there be of a justified estate but partly through dimnesse and weaknesse of faith which is but imperfect and therefore mixt with some doubtings all a mans life sometime or other and partly through the wise and adored providences of God to exercise our faith but that some time or other it cannot be discerned is the immediate testimony of Gods Spirit which some would make the only evidence alway evident and the shinings sheddings and actings of it never suspended but that by some means or other they will be at a losse why then should sanctification be excluded as a doubtfull evidence because sometime it is and at other times not discerned I know there are some who perceiving the conceived uncertainty of all such evidences have therefore found out a strange catholicon for these sick times a sure way of evidencing and leding all mens consciences in a way of peace and unshaken assurance of the love of Christ and therefore they make which I name with horrour the sight of corruption and sinfull pollution through the promise of the Gospel the certain and setled evidence of life and salvation which opinion the least I can say of it is that which Calvin said in the like case to be exundantis in mundum suroris Dei slagellum Wo to the dark mountains of Wales and the fat valleys towns and cities in England and sea coasts and Ilands in America if ever this delusion take place and yet this flame begins to catch and this infection to spread and therefore I finde M. Saltmarsh and W. C. to speak out and openly to own that which the Familists in former times have either been ashamed or afraid to acknowledge and that is this viz That the promise of the Gospâ—l do belong to a sinner quâ sinner or as a sinner and that the Law speaks good news to a righteous man quatenus a righteous man but the Gospel quite contrary it is to a man quatenus a sinner not as a regenerate man or as an humble man or as a Saint or as a beleever but as a sinner and hence they infer That a Christian will never have any setled peace but be off and on as a bone out of joint in and out in and out a reed tossed with the winde never knit to Christ if they lay hold on Christ and Gods love under any other consideration then as to sinners â— and therefore though they see no good in themselves though they be not humbled broken-hearted sinners as one Preacher tels them nor beleeving sinners as another Preacher tels them yet if they see themselves sinners they must know a sinner is the proper object of the Gospel and therefore this is ground enough to beleeve so that if the devil tell a man that he is no Saint if the soul can say I am a sinner if the devil say thou art an hypocrite I but an hypocrite is but a sinner still though I be not a broken-hearted sinner this will be they say a refuge of peace to retreat unto in all temptations and when men have learnt this lesson their souls will not be in and out any more but have constant peace for though they have no interest in Christ as Saints yet they have reall interest in the promises of Christ as sinners hence also they say that no Minister is to threaten or declare the curse and wrath of God against drunkards and sinners as such untill first Christ be offered in the Gospel and they refuse him and that if any do this they are Ministers of the Old Testament not of the new Sic deâ—init in piscem mulier formosa let us therefore see what chaff and what corn what truth and what falsehood there is in this nâ—w divinity It is true 1. That the Gospel reveals the free grace and love of God the death of Christ and salvation by him for sinners and that all those that are or shall be saved are to acknowledge and aggravaâ—e Gods love toward them in casting his eye upon them when they were sinners notwithstanding all their siâ—s this the Scripture everywhere holds forth Rom. 5.6 7. 1 Tim. 1.15.2 'T is true also that the