but Works done by God's Grace may and are joyned with it as Causes of Salvation and in these Points the Protestants oppose them I could fill a Volume with it if need were but it s enough to say you are mistaken in telling us what the Protestants oppose them in You say also that I say That Pardon is rather the condition of Faith nay Pardon is the cause of Faith R. I say rather for if a federal condition must lye between giving and receiving giving is the causal condition of receiving and not receiving of giving 2. The Object must be before the Act of the Organ Pardon is the Object applyed by Faith Application before there is an Object is contradictio in adjecto 3. The Promise of Pardon is the Ground and Reason of our believing therein is the Grace brought therein doth the Truth and faithfulness of God appear and the Apostle saith Faith comes by hearing this Word of Promise i. e. is wrought by it Rom. 10. And he opposeth the Works of the Law and the hearing of Faith in Justification Gal. 3.2 5. And what is that acceptation but of Faith which the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 1.15 And what doth it accept but that faithful Gospel saying there mentioned That Christ came into the World to save Sinners and the chiefest It s the Grace of God working in this Promise that hath wrought Faith in the hearts of thousands 4. We say with all soundest Protestants That Justification in Nature is before Sanctification and the Cause of it and therefore of Faith because Faith as a Grace wrought is a part of Sanctification It s enough for you to hold up that you call Error and give it Name and so let it go 10. It is not whether Sanctification taken strictly do follow Justification this I affirm R. If you affirm this you should not make so strange of my saying Pardon is the condition of believing What you hide under strictly I concern not my self Sanctification is Sanctification and if Justification goes before it you allow it to be conditio ordinis at least Therefore I conclude Pardon is rather a condition yea I say not meerly of Order but such a condition as is an influential Cause But go on stating your difference But whether effectual Vocation make a real habitual change in the Soul and that this Vocation is in order of Nature before Justification This Mr. C. and the Letter and I affirm with the Assembly R. As to the Letter I must tell your Answer to it is short and ungenteel and as he did Bellarmine who said Bellarmine thou lyest when you say it was rather to serve a turn than to argue it spake Truth weakly and other things erroneously and ignorantly c. It justifies a necessity of dealing a little more roughly with Men of your Country and Kidney But to our Point in hand it need not be enquired whether you take effectual Vocation in the active or passive Sense seeing you say its such as makes a real habitual change in the Soul And seeing it makes such a change it must be a change of Sanctification and this you say is before Justification how can that be when you had said before that Justification is before Sanctification strictly taken What kind of Sanctification I pray is effectual Calling Is it not so in a strict sense when you say its a real habitual change in the Soul Is this not turning from Darkness to Light raising us together with Christ or being born again But all this must be done before the Relative change a Man must be free from the reigning Power of Sin and alive from the Dead without Jesus Christ our Lord. See what the Assembly saith in the larger Catech. Q. 67. That effectual calling is the Work of Gods Almighty Power and Grace whereby out of his free and especial Love to his Elect and from nothing in them moving him thereto he doth in his accepted time invite and draw them to Jesus Christ c. and they are hereby made able and willing freely to answer his Call and to accept and embrace the Grace offered and conveyed therein i. e. then they are effectually called when they have embraced the pardoning Grace of God offered and conveyed which shews the previousness of that Grace working the effectual Calling consummated in believing and embracing the Gospel offered the Gospel Grace in the Promise is always that which works first upon the Sinner moves his Heart and draws it forth in believing 11. It is not whether our sincere Faith and Love c. are imperfect and so can be no meriting Righteousness which I affirm R. You affirm they are imperfect and so do I but not therefore that they can be no meriting Righteousness for the Merit of Righteousness doth not depend upon the perfection of the Duty or Service in it self but its perfection in relation to the Law that requireth it if the Duty required be never so weak little and lame if I have such a degree as the Law requires its perfect as to that Law The Law requires a poor Man to pay a Shilling to a Tax it s as good obedience as another Mans that's required to pay twenty Many Instances might be given the Papists say Merit lies not in the value of the Action but in Gods Acceptation The Council of Trent saith Our Works are meritorious of eternal Life Quia a patre acceptantur per Christum yea saith S. de Clara Actus meus dicitur meritorium quia elicitus seu Imperatus a gratia ex pactione divina acceptatur ad premium Deus ab aeterno ordinavit hujusmodi actus esse dignos vita eterna quando eliciuntur a gratia habituali non igitur tota ratio meriti a gratia ipsa So Scotus Actus non est meritorius praecise quia perveniens ex gratia sed quia acceptatur a Deo tanque dignus vita aeterna But where 's the Question then Whether Faith and Love c. are disobedient even in a Gospel account and so uncapable of being Conditions of any of its promised saving Benefits R. In the sense of the Papists they be not but be accepted of God for this end to be federal conditions of a Law Covenant they are perfect in that kind and relation and merit the Benefit but we say tho' any of our Gifts of Grace or Duties are accepted in Christ yet they are not accepted to any Merit or Worthiness of any other Grace federal conditions and worthiness of all Grace and Blessings bestowed on us are only in Christ and hence Faith and Charity and other Gifts of Grace tho' they have a conditional connexion one to another yet they are all of Promise and can't be federal conditions of any promised saving Benefits Mr. C. saith I am against the Articles of the Church of England and the Assembly I am sure he'el never prove it and I profess the contrary but I am sure he 's against all the
fulfilled but established And our Saviour tells us That he that will break one of the least of these Commandments and teach men so shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven What must they then be called who tell us God hath vacated this Holy Righteous and Good Law and brought in another in the room of it that dispenseth with little Sins and makes them not of a damning Nature II. Concerning the GOSPEL What Gospel is 1. The English Word Gospel comes from Good God or Ghost and Spell which signifies a Word or Saying so that Gospel is as much as a Good Word a comfortable Word or Saying of God The Word comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuntius est laetum vel foelix Nuntium or the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper Signification of it is a good Message or joyful News and so it s used by Aristophanes and Appian and in that Sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Mat. 11.5 Rom. 10.15 Luc. 2.10 11. The LXXII use it expresly for good Tidings 2 Sam. 4.10 and so Isa 52.7 The Gospel that we are to believe as the Glad Tidings of the Kingdom of Heaven Mar. 1.15 Luk. 2.10 The Publication of Christ's Doctrine 1 Cor. 4.15 Rom. 1.1 The Gospel of Ages or eternal Gospel Rev. 14.6 I know no place that it is used otherwise than for acceptable News and glad Tidings and no where in the Sense of a Law or Law-Covenant and it can be no otherwise because to whom are these glad Tidings brought but to poor Sinners that are fallen under the Law become guilty before God utterly hopeless and helpless in themselves and by the said Law or any Law that requires the least degree of Holiness as a federal Condition of Life and Salvation Christ himself Luke 4.18 from Isa 61.1 tells us who he came to preach Gospel good Tidings to it was to the poor broken-hearted Captives Blind Imprisoned The Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same signification and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. and Syr. See Isa 40.9 2. Now then the Gospel is the Manifestation of the Grace of the Covenant the good News and glad Tidings of Life and Salvation promised in the Covenant of Grace to Transgressors of the Law that lye under the Curse of it and was promulgated immediately after the Fall before the Sentence was passed by way of Promise without the least mention of a New Law or Law Conditions to be performed by Man to invest him in the said Promise The Promise was to Christ and of Christ That he should destroy the Work of the Devil and spoil Principalities and Powers and give Life to to the World that the Devil by his Subtilty and Malice had plotted to destroy and as he thought had effected the total Ruine and Destruction of The like Promise was to Abraham 430 Years before the Law The manner of this Salvation was soon exemplified in Sacrifices in Adam's Family as Types of Christ the great Sacrifice for Sin they were continued in the Families of the Faithful both before and after the Flood and in Abraham's and the Patriarchs till the Church of Israel was erected and organized in the Wilderness when the whole Ceremonial Service was established the OEconomy whereof was but an entire Type of Christ and the Gospel in the Tabernacle and Temple state of the Church so that the whole Service was no more than their Gospel wherein Christ was daily preached to them Which Gospel of theirs laboured under much faultiness comparatively to what it was afterward at the Appearance and by the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles 2 Tim. 1.9 10. compared with Eph. 3.5 6. 1. This Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light by the Promise which was not so clearly discovered before Christ's Incarnation and Ministry Eph. 3.5 He appears to be the great Sacrifice so long fore-typified as likewise the great Priest that was to come after the Order of Melchisedeck and the great Prophet Moses prophesied of To him gave all the Prophets Witness and John the Baptist pointed him out As the Lamb of God that took away the Sins of the World and that he had received the Spirit without Measure The History of Christ's Life Doctrine Death and Exaltation are eminent Proofs of these glad Tydings from whence the four Evangelists are rightly named The Witness and Ministry of the Apostles contain likewise the same whereby there is the giving the Knowledg of Salvation Luke 1.77 and that through this Knowledg we should have all things pertaining to Life and Godliness 2 Pet. 1.3 2. The Promise of the Gospel to us contains all good News being free and absolute to Sinners such 2 Tim. 1.15 1 Joh. 5.11 ch 2.25 of Christ and of Eternal Life and Salvation in him 2. Promises of the first Grace freely and graciously bestowed on us as of Faith Eph. 2.8 the Spirit Luke 11.12 13. the new Creation Eph. 2.10 and free Justification Ezek. 36.25 the new Heart 26. a Promise to make us to walk in his ways and that we shall be his People ibid. a Promise to be taught of God Joh. 6.45 Isa 54.13 Yea the bringing us into a true Gospel Obedience to the Law Jer. 31.33 the making Christ our Wisdom Righteousness and Sanctification 1 Cor. whereby Obedience to God's Law is graciously given us Psal 119.29 the promise of Perseverance that we shall not depart from God Jer. 32.40 3. The Promises made to Christ and of Christ wherein our absolute Salvation is wrapped up so as to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 c. 49.6 c. 53.11 12. Promises to him of the Throne and Dominion of David in a spiritual Sense such as concern his priestly and prophetical Offices as Heb. 7. Ps 10. To instance in all would be long 4. All the Names of Christ as Messias Jesus Emanuel the account of his Natures of his Offices of his Office in general Mediator Redeemer Saviour of Christ in particular of his Prophetick Priestly Kingly Offices his exercise of them and his excellent Spirit which he shewed therein full of Meekness Compassion Wisdom and Zeal All this is Gospel and good News to Sinners 5. The gracious free Invitations that are made to Sinners as Isa 55.1 Mat. 11. lat 2 Cor. 5.1 with Promises for Encouragement Here 's high and rich Gospel 6. The Promise of Principle and Strength to perform every Duty required of his Spirit to work in us to will and do of God's Love shed abroad in our Hearts to constrain us of life itself and that he will be the Resurrection and Life of Love springing from the Love of God of making us good Trees that we may bring forth good Fruit is all wonderful Gospel 7. All the Discoveries Christ hath made of his Father his eternal Election his transacting with him in a Covenant-way shewing us the Mystery of the Father revealing him by his glorious Designs to glorifie his
most express in it That there was no Law given to his time that could be a Gospel i. e. that could give Life to Sinners Gal. 3.21 If there had a Law been given which could have given life verily Righteousness had been by a Law And now I pray except not at my reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law indefinitely understanding any Law for our Translators render it so and I must tell you they should by the same reason have rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same manner and then the Text had been uniform in the Translation as in the Original if there had been a Law any Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness had been by a Law Therefore your new Law was not gâ—ven before Paul's Time but the Gospel was therefore the Gospel is no Law with Sanction Luther on this place saith thus Though those Words of Paul be never so pâ—ain yet the Papists have this wicked Gloss always ready That he speaketh only of the Ceremonial Law But Paul speaketh plainly and excepteth no Law whether Moral or Ceremonial or any other Wherefore their Gloss is not worth a Rush And contrariwise we affirm That there is no Law whether Man's Law or God's Law that giveth Life therefore we put as great a difference between the Law and Righteousness as between Life and Death between Heaven and Hell and the Cause that moveth us so to affirm is That the Apostle saith The Law is not given to justifie to give Life and to save but only to kill and to destroy contrary to the Opinion of all Men naturally c. This Difference of the Offices of the Law and the Gospel keepeth all Christian Doctrin in its true and proper use This Witness of Luther I can set against all the Testimonies you bring from any whatever who hold or have held the Gospel a Law with Sanction as you do divers may speak of it under the term of a Law of Faith or understanding by Law the Precepts of the Gospel but if they plead that the true and proper nature of the Gospel is a Law with Sanction as you do I do renounce their Opinion and do oppose them therein as I do you it being as such fundamentally destructive to the Gospel and the whole nature of the Grace of it And on Gal. 4.4 Christ being made under the Law is not a Law-giver or a Judge after the Law but in that he made himself subject to the Law he delivered us from the Curse thereof Now whereas Christ under the Gospel giveth Commandments and teacheth the Law or expoundeth it rather this pertaineth not to the Doctrin of Justification but of good Works Moreover It is not the proper Office of Christ for which he came into the World to teach the Law but accidental as it was to heal the weak c. Wherefore the true proper Office of Christ is to wrestle with the Law to conquer and abolish Sin and Death to deliver the faithful from the Law and all Evils Let us learn to put a difference between Christ and a Law-giver that when the Devil goes about to trouble us under his Name we may know him to be a very Fiend Christ is no Moses he is nothing else but Infinite Mercy freely giving On Gal. 2.20 Now as it is the greatest knowledge and cunning that Christians have thus to define Christ so of all things it is hardest I my self in this great light of the Gospel wherein I have been so long exercised to hold the distinction of Christ which Paul giveth so deeply hath the Doctrin and pestilent Opinion that Christ is a Law-giver entred into my Bones You young Men therefore are in a far happier condition for you are not insected with those pernicious Errours wherein I have been so muzled and drowned from my youth that at my hearing the Name of Christ my Heart hath trembled and quaked for fear for I was perswaded that he was a severe Judge wherefore it is to me a double trouble to correct and reform this Evil 1. To forget condâ—mn and resist this old-grounded Errour That Christ is a Law-giver and a Judge 2. To plant in my Heart a new and true perswasion of Christ that he is a Justifier and a Saviour Ye that are young may learn with much less difficulty to know Christ purely and sincerely if you will Arg. 8. If the Gospel be a new Law then we must have a double Righteousness for our justification but we have not a double Righteousness for our justification therefore the consequence is good 1. From most of your Concessions that we have the righteousness of Christ and that which you call subordinate You should rather have said as Dr. Owen argues that Christ's righteousness is the subordinate it being in ordine ad in order to our justification by a new Law Mr. B. and others speak more distinctly and say a legal and evangelical righteousness but in truth it must be two legal righteousnesses For 2. There 's no Law but must have a pâ—culiar distinct righteousness from that of any other Law whereby a Man under it must be justified and all the righteousness that serves for justification by another Law hath nothing to do in our justification by the said Law and therefore there must be two distinct Righteousnesses and two distinct Justifications as there are two distinct Laws Unless you say the old Law is vacated which is a contradiction if you do but own that Christ is the end of that Law for righteousness to every one that beâ—ieved and then it cannot be vacated for a Law vacated and a Law in force is a contradiction and a Law fulfilled to every jot and tittle to every believer remains in force Therefore it remains that we have two righteousnesses for justification and both legal because all Law-righteousness is legal Christ's single righteousness is indeed legal in respect of the Law and â—vangelical in respect of sinners it being to them the gift of righteousness so with us the same thing differs only respectively 3. There must be as distinct righteousness for justification as there is unrighteousness for condemnation but each Law hath its distinct unrighteousness for condemnation The Minor is easily proved that we have not two righteousnesses for justification for if we have 1. Christ's righteousness is not enough for our justification unto life contrary to the Scripture 2. All the Popish Doctrin will unavoidably come in at this gate which is wide enough for it 3. Our own Works call them what you will let them be Faith and sincere Obedience imperfect Holiness c. must come in for a share in our justification contrary to Tit. 3.4 5. and an hundred places of Scripture besides nay for the whole of our justification by the new Law for the righteousness that answers that must be distinct from the righteousness that answers the old Law to enervate this Doctrin many have wrote to very good purpose in