gathered from the former That is saith the Author he would not believe God himself though he should make never so many Promises of Grace to sinners unless he were sure that he had first satisfied his revenge To which I answer Doth the Dr. by Discoveries intend Promises of Graces No certainly In his very entrance into the Discourse of Patience he tells us his Design viz. to prove That the Glimpses of Patience shining out in works of Providence are exceedingly beneath the discovery of it which we have in Christ and both before and after the words quoted he gives Instances of Gods Goodness in the Rain fruitful seasons he shews what kind of Patience he intends that is A not immediate punishing upon the offence not a word or tittle of Promises Neither is it at all imaginable that he could mean them for he who holds a necessity of Satisfaction as the Dr. doth could not so much as think one single thought of a Promise to be the object of his Faith or indeed at all to be without a crucified Christ in whom God's Justice was satisfied And for the Glimpses of Patience shining out in Works of Providence which are common even to the poor Pagans I may well say that they are little very little consolations in comparison of those which Christians have Pagans may see God forbearing but Christians see him fully satisfied in the Blood of Christ Pagans see God forbearing but they cannot tell how long he may do so or how soon his wrath may come dashing down upon them but Christians know that they are delivered from the wrath to come and so God's Patience is very sweet to them But the Author goes on in his charge The Doctor saith that the nature and end of God's Patience and Forbearance is God's taking a course in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness that we should not be destroyed notwithstanding our sins the Justice of God being satisfied the greatest sins can do us no hurt we shall escape notwithstanding our sins But the Gospel instructs us That without holiness no man shall see God Thus the Author To which I answer Surely we shall escape notwithstanding our sins or else we cannot escape without pure sinless perfection and notwithstanding our greatest sins or else they exceed Gods Mercy and Christ's Merit But what without Repentance and Holiness No by no means the Doctor means no such matter but saith expresly That the end of Gods patience is that his Will concerning our Repentance and Salvation may be accomplished and quotes that of St. Peter 2 Pet. 3.9 God is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and surely where true Repentance is holiness of Life will follow As for the Wisdom of God Mr. Sherlock no doubt but the Gospel of Christ makes glorious discoveries of it but if Justice be so natural to God that nothing could satisfie him but the death of his Son the Redemption by Christ may discover his Justice or Goodness but not his Wisdom It requires no great Wisdom to chuse when there is but one possible way No doubt Answer untraceable is the Wisdom hid in Redemption great the Mystery God manifest in the Flesh And what if there were but one possible Way of Redemption or Salvation and that only in and by the satisfactory Death of Christ Is this an Eclipse of the divine Wisdom No that one possible Way lay so deep that no wisdom of Men or Angels could have started a thought of it nothing less than the infinite Wisdom of God could have found it out or brought it forth to the World Upon the Doctors words Mr. Sherlock We learn our disability to answer the Mind and Will of God in all or any of the obedience he requireth the Author adds that is It is impossible for us to do any thing that is good but we must be acted as Machins by an external force by the irresistible power of the Grace and Spirit of God this is a new discovery we learn no such thing from the Gospel And pag. 109. the Author saith After all the noise they make about coming to Christ they mean being carried thither by an omnipotent and irresistible power and to the same purpose in other places That there is such a thing as irresistible Grace Answer such as surely arrives at the Effect is a great Truth the Gospel shews forth the Glory of it there it is set forth thus It takes away the stony Heart that is the very resisting Principle It writes the Law in the Heart that is it gives such an inward Principle as answers to the outward Command It draws opens quickens regenerates new-creates and conquers the Heart carrying it away by a translation into the Kingdom of Christ It gives the very Willing the very Believing the very Acting causing us to walk in his Statutes and all this in a way of Power greatness and exceeding greatness of Power such as raised up Christ from the dead Fph. 1.19 And if this be not irresistible Grace I know not what is St. Austin clearly owns such a Grace De Praed Sanct. c. 8. Haec Gratia saith he quae occultè humanis cordibus divinâ largitate tribuitur à nullo duro corde respuitur Ideò quippe tribuitur ut cordis duritia primitùs auferatur The Fathers in the Arausican Council tell us That believing willing desiring endeavouring labouring watching praying seeking knocking and all is from Grace Can. 6. And that we may know how the Work of Grace is wrought they call it Mutatio dextrae excelsi A Change wrought by the right hand of the most High Can. 15. Our Church in the Homily concerning the Coming down of the holy Ghost speaking of the Conception of the Lord Christ as a marvellous matter adds But where the holy Ghost worketh there nothing is impossible as may farther appear by the inward Regeneration and Sanctification of Mankind and withal calls Regeneration or the new Birth The Great Power of the holy Ghost The incomparable Bishop Vsher asserts Myst of Incarn pag. 43. That no less power is requisite to the effecting of the new Creature than was at first to the producing of all things out of nothing and what can this be less than an irresistible Grace Should there be only resistible Grace those Prayers in Scripture Turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31.18 and Turn us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Lam. 5.21 must have but a sick Consequence And those two great Petitions in the Lords Prayer Thy Kingdom come and Thy Will be done seem as Mr. Rous observes to run after this rate Lord let thy Kingdom be at my pleasure and thy Will at the will of my Free-will whether that shall come or this be done In very deed the great Design of a Church to be purchased by Christ's Blood gathered by his holy Spirit and crowned with
all the Dispensation of Grace to it self But if we may not have acquaintance with Christ himself may we have one with the Gospel No I doubt not the Gospel tells us That the Spirit reveils the things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 and by necessary consequence the Gospel will lead us unto Christ for that Spirit and to communion with him which is the thing opposed by the Author but to me so pretious that before I would open my lips against it I would put my self under the penance of Severus Sulpitius who having sullied himself with Pelagianism afterwards repented and devoted himself to perpetual silence ut peccatum Spond Ann. An. 430. quod loquendo contraxerat tacendo emendaret But now we must see the Pious Learned Dr. Owen brought upon the Stage The Dr. tells us Mr. Sherlock that Christ is not only the Wisdom of God but made Wisdom to us not only by teaching us wisdom by his Doctrine as he is the great Prophet of his Church but also because by knowing of him we become acquainted with the Wisdom of God which is our Wisdom To which purpose he applies that Text which speaks of the Doctrines of Christ to his Person Col. 2.3 For in him dwell all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge A little before those words Answer the Doctor 's Design by which in all Candor his After-discourse should be construed appears to be that all Wisdom is laid up in Christ and that from him alone it is to be obtained who is so hardy as to deny it He that knows him becomes acquainted with one in whom dwell all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge and from whom are derived all the Riches of Understanding in the Saints As in the corporal vision of an Object there is requisite a Light in the Air and another in the Eye so in this intellectual Vision there is external Revelation and internal Illumination and both are from Christ Cui Veritas comperta sine Deo De Anima cap. 1. cui Deus cognitus sine Christo cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu sancto cui Spiritus sanctus accommodatus sine Fidei Sacramento saith Tertullian By that Col. 2.3 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge is as I take it meant the Person of Christ the very same which is pointed out Ver. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead Ver. 10. in him ye are complete Ver. 11. In him ye are circumcised and Ver. 12. With him ye are buried in Baptism and with him ye are risen through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead I can very hardly understand all these of the Gospel neither did I ever find that it was raised from the dead But now let us hear the Author's Inference So that our acquaintance with Christ's Person signifies such a knowledge of what Christ is hath done and suffered for us Mr. Sherlock from whence we may learn those greater deeper and more saving Mysteries of the Gospel which Christ hath not expresly reveiled to us for so the Doctor adds That these Properties of God Christ hath reveiled in his Doctrine in that Revelation he hath made of God and his Will but the Life of this Knowledge lies in an acquaintance with his Person whereby the express Image and Beams of this Glory of his Father doth shine forth that is that these things are clearly eminently and savingly only to be discovered in Christ So that it seems the Gospel of Christ makes a very imperfect and obscure discovery of the Nature Attributes and Will of God and a little after This sets up a new Rule of Faith above the Gospel acquaintance with Christ Doth our Acquaintance with Christ teach us Mysteries not reveiled in the Gospel No by no means neither doth the Doctor say so Redde verba mea vanescet calumnia tua saith St. Austin to Julian The Doctor saith those Properties are reveiled in the Doctrine And in a Sentence interposed by the Doctor but omitted by the Author he saith The knowledge of them is exposed to all but saith the Dr. The life of this knowledge lies in acquaintance with Christ So it is he is God manifest in the Flesh and so a rare Mirrour of the divine Perfections and withall he is the Great Illuminator by his Spirit and so opens our eyes to see the Mysteries in Christ and the Gospel Without this Illumination the outward Revelation gives not a saving Knowledge It may be the Author will smile at me but hear St. Austin De Praed Sanct. c. 8. Valdè remota est à sensibus carnis haec Schola in quâ Deus auditur docet gratia ista secreta est gratiam verò esse quis ambigit Hear Bishop Davenant Exp. in Col. cap. 2. Tales illuminationes fieri talem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprimi fidelium animis non credunt mundani experiuntur tamen pii The Gospel is a perfect outward Revelation and Rule of Faith yet our blindness needs an inward Illumination that we may spiritually discern the Mysteries therein But now the Author will shew us what Additions these men make to the Gospel from an Acquaintance with Christ's Person and first upon the doctors words That the knowledge of God the knowledge of our selves and skill to walk in Communion with God in which three is the sum of all true Wisdom are obtained and manifested in and by the Lord Christ. The Author observes that by is fallaciously added to include the Revelations Christ hath made To which I answer The Dr. never excluded outward Revelation but this alone cannot give saving knowledge All Wisdom is in Christ as the Mirrour of divine Perfections and by Christ as the great Illuminator by his Spirit We should use outward Revelation in the very same posture as Zuinglius did who understanding from St. Peter that the Scripture was not of private Interpretation Mel. Ad. in vit Zuing. In coelum suspexit doctorem quaerens Spiritum looked up to heaven seeking the the Spirit for his great teacher Had Christ never appeared in the World Mr. Sherlock yet we had reason to believe that God is Wise and Good and Holy and Merciful because not only the works of Nature and Providence but the Word of God assure us that he is so And a little after he adds And is not this a confident Man to tell us That the love of God to sinners and his pardoning Mercy could never enter into the heart of man but by Christ when the Experience of the whole World confutes him for whatever becomes of his new Theories both Jews and Heathens who understand nothing at all what Christ was to do in order to our recovery did believe God gracious and merciful to sinners The Jews knew God to be gracious and merciful Answer very true but through the promised Messiah whom the Believers among them saw slain
those who are so apt to be conceited of Merit grow as proud of a golden Bucket as if the Well were their own They are civil to Faith to make it a golden Bucket but at other times they tell us That Faith may be a sore and blear-eyed Leah a shaking and a palsie hand weak and bending Legs and have all the infirmities that may be and be never the worse neither as to the purpose of Justification so that Faith had need be a very humble Grace else it would take such language very ill from them What need all this sport with Faiths Humility or Infirmity Answer An humble Grace Faith is it empties the Soul of it self gives all Glory to God hangs upon Christ and free Grace and hath all in a way of receiving and dependence and seeing its Nature and aptitude to Evangelical purposes is such it is no wonder at all that God set his stamp upon it and marked it out for an Evangelical Medium to receive Christ and his Righteousness unto Justification Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace saith the Apostle Rom. 4.16 Fides Gratia commeant mutuò se ponunt tollunt Fides sola Gratiâ nititur Gratia tantùm credenti promittitur saith the Learned Paraeus on the place Let us hear our Church in this matter 2. Hom. of salvation This saying that we be justified by Faith only freely and without Works is spoken to take away clearly all merit of our Works as being unable to deserve Justification at Gods hands and thereby most plainly to express the weakness of Man and goodness of God the great infirmity of our selves and the might and power of God the imperfectness of our own works and the most abundant Grace of our Saviour Christ. But to go on infirm Faith is because of the adherent Corruption which is apt to blear its eyes and give it a palsie hand and trembling legs however if it be true it entitles to Christ and his Righteousness Invoco te Domine languidâ imbecillâ fide sed fide tamen said Cruciger the German Divine Those men whom the Author opposes hold no such thing as meriting by Tears or any thing else of our own but caution against it Indeed the Author thinks there is no danger in repentant Tears but Humane pride such is its venomous Nature is ready to swell at any small matter which hath but any shadow of excellency in it The heart of good Hezekiah was lifted up over his Silver and Gold and Treasures and precious things which yet were of a much lower value than his devotional Tears which shews the proneness of our Nature to that sin Those Scriptures Without holiness no man shall see God Mr. Sherlock The wrath of God is reveiled against all unrighteousness In every Nation he that worketh righteousness is accepted of God Except your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into Heaven He that breaketh the least of these Commandements and teacheth men so shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven and he that doth and teacheth them shall be called great there assert the absolute necessity of an holy life to entitle us to Gods Love and the Rewards of the next Life and perfectly overthrow their fundamental Notion of Justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us Doth the necessity of an holy Life overthrow the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Answer No surely it 's a very gross mistake a holy Life is so far from overthrowing Imputed Righteousness that it presupposes it We are married to Christ that we might bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 And our Church in the 12. Article tells us That good Works follow after Justification Those who are true Believers and have Christ's Righteousness imputed to them do above all other men obey God's Commands glorifie his Name and walk in holy Obedience towards the Crown of Glory above Obedience is necessary but not in that sence as if the least breach of a Command should finally exclude from Heaven for then it were Wo wo to us Nor yet so absolutely as that a Believer dying in the first instant of Faith and before actual Obedience should be shut out of Heaven Our Church hath taught us better 1. Hom. of good works quoting St. Chrysost sor it I can shew a man that by Faith without Works lived and came to heaven but without Faith never man had life the Thief that was hanged when Christ suffered did believe only and the merciful God justified him If any say that he lacked time truth it is and I will not contend therein but this I will surely affirm That Faith only saved him But these men defie you Mr. Sherlock if you charge them with destroying the necessity of an holy life for they tell us Tat this universal Obedience and good Works a suspicious word are indispensibly necessary from the sovereign appointment and Will of God this is the Will of God even our Sanctification It is the Will of the Father Son and holy Ghost it is the end of their Dispensation in the business of Salvation it is the end of the Father's electing Love Eph. 1.2 of the Son 's redeeming Love Tit. 2. and of the Spirit 's sanctifying Love it is necessary to the glory of them all And are not these men mightily injured Is it not great pity they should be so abused But the truth is all this is not one syllable to the purpose for the Question was about its necessity to salvation and if we be justified and saved without it all this cannot prove any necessary obligation on us to the practice of it God hath commanded Obedience but where is the Sanction of this Law Will he damn those who do not obey for their disobedience and save those who do for their obedience Not a word of this for this destroys our Justification by Christ's Righteousness only if after all those commands God hath left it indifferent whether we obey or not Obedience is not necessary And will the Father elect and the Son redeem none but those who are holy and reprobate all others If we be elected and redeemed without any regard to our being holy our Election and Redemption is secure whether we be holy or not and so this cannot make holiness necessary on our part though it may be necessary on God's to make us holy but that is not our care and how is Obedience for the glory of the Father Son and holy Spirit when the necessity of holiness is destructive to free Grace which is the only glory God designs by Christ I suppose them injured and abused to some tune Answer after they have in terminis asserted the Necessity of Obedience from strong invincible Scriptural Arguments they are yet charged with destroying the Necessity of an holy Life But saith the Author All this is not one syllable to the purpose
near conjunction between Christ and the Church and the mutual fellowship of Christians Hence the Apostle calls the Cup the Communion of Christ's Blood and the Bread the Communion of his Body For we being many are one bread and one Body one Body represented by this one Bread for we are all partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10.16 Sacraments are Symbols of our Union with Christ Answer and why not of an immediate Union the Elements are immediately applied to individuals and why may not the signified Union be immediate else how doth it correspond to the Sign But to clear this point first for Baptism Unbaptized Believers are really united to Christ even before their Baptism how else should the Thief on the Cross ever arrive at Paradise Or which way should the unbaptized Martyrs get thither Baptism admits men into the Church Visible but if Believers they are in the Church Catholick that one Body of Christ before nay Baptism supposes them to be so because it is a Seal of the Covenant If thou believest with all thine heart saith Philip to the Eunuch thou mayest be baptized Act. 8.37 and after the holy Ghost poured down on the Gentiles water could not be forbid them Act. 10 47. And on the other hand baptized persons may yet not be really united to Christ they may be admitted into the visible Church and yet not in that one body of Christ which is made up of Believers Simon Magus was baptized Acts 8. but for all that in the bond of iniquity many are partakers of baptismal water in whom appears not a Scintilla Spiritûs Sancti In like manner for the Lords Supper men may be nay should be in union with Christ before their receiving of it and yet many outwardly receive it who are not in union with him receiving only Panem Domini and not Panem Dominum as S. Austin speaks and eating only forès non intùs in Sacramento tantùm non usque ad Spiritûs participationem To conclude Sacraments and visible Churches must not be disparaged yet truth must be owned a reall union to Christ may be before the use of Sacraments nay before entrance into the Church visible and therefore it must be immediate or else it could in no case be before them The intention of our Lord and Saviour Mr. Sherlock in what he did and suffered for us was not meerly to reform and save some single persons but to erect a Church and combine all his Disciples into a publick Society to unite them by holy mysteries and to engage them to a mutual discharge of all Christian Offices whereby the whole body may edifie it self in Love and therefore our Saviour doth not own any relation to particular men as such but as they are members of his body for he is the Saviour of the body and redeemed his Church with his own Blood Hence St. John tells 1 Epist That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ First That ye may have fellowship with us become members of the Church by which means you have fellowship with God and Christ. Christ intended to erect a Church How so Answer Common Philanthropy which does alike for all men doth no such singular thing as to cull and call a Church a select company out of the rest of mankind No it is impossible because the Love is common and the work singular no less than special love must do it such as God sets upon his chosen ones Christ intended to set up a Church very true and he hath pitched upon the individual persons which shall make it up he hath set down their names in the Book of Life or else his providence which is so accurate in the little Flies and Gnats as to set down every wing and little part which makes up those minute animals should be very lame and imperfect in that great design of a Church a Church only being designed and not the persons of which it should consist Christ intended to set up a Church Yes and he resolved to give such Grace as should infallibly effect it Providence such is its wisdom and accurate perfection never fails or falls short of its intent no not in a design of Justice and that to come to pass through the hardest medium can be used by it we need not scale Heaven for this but have a Scheme let down from thence to assure us of it 2 Chron. 18. God intended that Ahab should go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead and though the manner of it were by a lying spirit yet it infallibly came to pass how much more must providence be unfailable in such a design of Grace as that of a Church It s true suasory resistible Grace cannot secure it because it leaves the issue of all upon the will of man irresistible Grace must come in or else we may lay by the design of a Church and confess with Corvinus Finis mortis Christi constaret etiamsi nemo credidisset As for that place of St. John That ye may have fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ By us is meant S. John or the Apostles not the Church or body of Christ But were that Church meant it hinders not but that they in the use of the Evangelical Truths and Ordinances might come to an immediate Communion with God and Christ as the Apostles had thus the Learned Grotius on the place Vt vos ipsi non minùs quà m nos frucium inde percipiatis societatem cum Deo cum Christo Those publick censures Mr. Sherlock whereby rotten or dead members are cut off from the body of Christ consist in casting such persons out of the Christian Society in debarring them from the Communion of Prayers and Sacraments and all religious Offices which is a plain demonstration that our union to Christ is not an union to his person but consists in a sincere and spiritual communion with the Christian Church otherwise this external communion with the Church could be no visible signification of our union to Christ nor could our excision from the visible Church signifie our separation from him The Author argues thus Answer If union to Christ be immediate then our external communion with the Church cannot signifie our union to Christ nor could our excision from the visible Church signifie our separation from him To which I answer just before our Author saith Our union to Christ is not an union to his Person but consists in communion with the Church that is the visible Church as he afterwards calls it and therefore our communion with the Church doth not signifie our union to Christ but is it and our excision from the Church doth not signifie our separation from Christ but is it according to our Author which cannot possibly stand Because our union to the
Nature of it consists in the Vnion of things which in Rational Beings consists in mutual Relations and common Interests and the Foundation of it is a likeness of Nature and Harmony of Wills And therefore the Apostle explains our fellowship with God by our being the Temple of God and that God dwells in us and walks in us ver 17.18 As for that place 1 Joh. 1.3 Answer I have answered before As for the other 1 Cor. 1.9 Ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ it is to be considered that in the Epistles written to Visible Churches some things are common to all some proper only to Believers Those Churches are made up of Believers and Unbelievers and all things do not quadrate to all Thus in the quoted Chapter that touching schisms and divisions is an Item to all ver 10. but that fellowship of Christ ver 9. is proper to Believers such as shall be confirmed unto the end ver 8. This place evinces not that our Fellowship with Christ is founded on our Fellowship with the Visible Church all that are in it have not Communion with Christ those therefore who walk in darkness have it not and if they say that they have it the Apostle gives them the lye in plain terms 1 Joh. 1.6 Where by the way it appears that the fellowship with Christ mentioned ver 3. consists not in Fellowship with a Visible Church on the other hand all that are out of it want not Communion with Christ The unbaptized and unjustly excommunicate if Believers have it and yet are not in a Visible Church But saith the Author the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 argues from the nature of their Faith in Christ to the obligations of Peace and Vnity To which I answer that the Apostle argues from the precedent Commendations that the Grace of God was given to them ver 4. that in every thing they were inriched ver 5. that they came behind in no gift ver 7. that they had fellowship with Christ ver 9. which were only proper to the Believers among them and from thence exhorts all to Unity ver 10. Because the Believers among them were really such and the rest would seem to be such Afterwards the Author tells us That the Foundation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Communion is a likeness of Nature and harmony of Wills Now if we speak of Communion with a Visible Church made up of Believers and Unbelievers these have not a likeness of Nature the one having a divine Nature in them the other only an humane and that corrupt nor an harmony of wills the Will of the one being sanctified of the other carnal and vitious which shews that a Visible Church in the whole Complex of it hath only external Ligaments to tye the Members of it together If we speak of Communion with Christ which is proper to believers they are mystically united to Christ by the Spirit and Faith and withal have an heavenly Nature and Will suting to his Now because the Lord's Supper is the only Act which the Scripture mentions Mr. Sherlock whereby our Fellowship with God and Christ is expressed hence it is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Communion 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup is the Communion of Christ's blood the bread of his body And he calls it the Communion 1. Because it signifies the Communion of Christians with each other that they are all Members of Christs body ver 17.2 Because it signifies our fellowship with God ver 18. Behold Israel after the flesh are not they that eat of the sacrifice partakers of the Altar The sacrifice on the Altar was reckoned as God's meat as the Temple was his House therefore those who eat of the Sacrifice were entertained at God's Table which was a signification of their Fellowship with him Thus the Lords Supper is a Feast upon a Sacrifice even that great stupendious one of the Body of Christ which was offered on the Cross Therfore to eat the Bread and drink the Wine which are Figures of his Body and Blood is to eat of that Sacrifice that spiritual food God hath provided for us Thus God entertains us at his Table as his own Children who are of his Family as Members of Christ who have a right to all the Blessings of the New Covenant which was sealed with his Blood This is the only Act of Religion which in Scripture signifies Communion with God But Prayer Meditation and such like Acts of Devotion are no where called Communion with God though a prevailing custom hath in our days almost wholly appropriated that name to them Fellowship with God doth not consist in transient acts but is a state of life that relation we stand in to God and Christ and no act of religion properly signifies this fellowship with God but only eating at his table You will not say that a poor man enjoyes communion with his Prince when he puts up his petition to pray to God is an act of homage which we owe him a Duty which results from our fellowship with God but it is not in its own nature an act of communion The Lords Supper is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answer or Communion but Prayer Meditation and such like acts of Devotion are no where called so thus the Author But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned 2 Cor. 13.12 cannot be spared out of Divine Ordinances unless we would strip them of their Divine excellency and write upon them that Ichabod which is proper to their departure And what if there were no such word as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture No more was the Nicene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor the Ephesine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing it self being there will suffice all men but Chimers who only follow the sound of words True Believers as they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partakers of the divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 moulded and formed into the Resemblance and beautiful Image of God so they have Communion with God in all holy Ordinances there God meets them and dispenses out spiritual Blessings to them there is a divine Converse and Entercourse between God and believing Souls the drawings of God are answered with the Soul 's running Cant. 1.4 God saith Seek ye my face and the Antiphon in the Soul is Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 In Prayer the holy Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.26 lifts over against us to help up our devotions and the Great God above makes such sweet returns of Grace and Mercy as if he were present and vocally said Here I am Isai 58.9 While we are devoutly musing the holy Fire will perhaps drop down from Heaven and set the Heart as a spiritual Altar burning and aspiring upwards towards the great Origen of all Goodness and Perfections In the Dispensations of the Word oh what divine Influences and Spirations are there on Gods part What Compliances and Responses on the Believer's Justice
our Saviour Joh. 14.6 Or how could they be reckoned among those that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seek out God Heb. 11.6 Nature may grope after God but it cannot indeed seek him out as he is in his gracious Covenant without a Divine Call and Spirit Or how could they be justified without Faith in a Messiah By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isai 53.11 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Act. 10.43 We see without believing in him there is no remission no pleasing of God And were Abel and Enoch without a promise then they were in a meer Pagan state and what that is the Apostle tells us Eph. 2.12 Having no hope and without God in the world and this because they were without Christ and without the covenant of promise as that place tells us Now if Abel and Enoch were without God then how could they be sincerely Religious or do him any true service And if they were without hope how could they look upon God as a rewarder of them that seek him Indeed there are some rudera imaginis Dei in us A natural man hath some obscure notions of God and his remunerating goodness but in the Apostle when God is said to be a rewarder it is not to be taken Philosophicè but Evangelicè that is that he is a rewarder of Believers in and through the Messiah and the Promises of Grace and eternal life made in him Take away the word and you take away justifying Faith How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 If Abel and Enoch had only natural Faith and that justifying meer Pagans may have the same who yet have not the name Jesus the only name of Salvation who never heard of the holy Ghost the Fountain of all Holiness who have not the Gospel the Chariot of the holy Spirit who know not what Grace is in its supernatural nature or in its center the glory of heaven notwithstanding all this they may have justifying Faith Before the Author told us That the Gospel is the fulness of Christ the principle of a Divine Life the Wisdom and Power of God and yet without this Gospel a man by meer Nature may arrive at justifying Faith By these things I hope it appears that the Faith of Abel and Enoch was more than natural even Faith in the Messiah Remarkable is that of the second Arausican Council Can. 25. Crabbe 1. tome 628. Abel justum Noe Abraham Isaac Jacob omnem antiquorum Sanctorum multitudinem illam praeclaram fidem quam in ipsorum laudem praedicat Apostolus Paulus non per bonum naturae sed per gratiam Dei credimus fuisse collatam You see they allow no natural Faith Our Church reckoning up Abel and the rest of the Worthies Heb. 11. saith They did not only know God to be the Maker and Governour of the World 2. Hom. of Faith but they had a special confidence and trust that he would be their God although they were not named Christian men yet was it a Christian Faith that they had for they looked for all benefits of God the Father through the merits of his Son Jesus Christ as we now do And in the eighteenth Article our Church saith They are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law and the light of Nature For holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ by which men must be saved And what can be more full or zealous than these passages I shall only more add the judgement of Bishop Wren Abelem qui per propterque fidem Messiae defunctus est etiamnum celebrari à nobis Christianis atque in Ecclesiae Christi Martyrologiis quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ritè appellantur Heb. 12.1 locum habere Thus much touching natural Faith The second sort of Faith mentioned by the Author is of particular Revelations made to Noah Abraham and others whereby they were justified Observe the Author saith That in the Eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews there are mentioned two kinds of Faith that is natural Faith and Faith of particular Revelations So that it seems in this Chapter which reaches down from Abel to the Maccabees Nay I suppose after them to the Incarnation of Christ there is no Faith in Christ at all to be thought of But Noah and the rest had not only a Faith of particular promises but a Faith in the Messiah too which was that which made it justifying Abraham rejoyced to see Christ's day And that was the joy of Faith Joh. 8.56 Jacob tells us of a Shiloh to whom the gathering of the people should be Gen. 49.10 And surely he himself was gathered to him by Faith Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure in Egypt Heb. 11.29 And surely he was no stranger to Christ in his Faith Job saith I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19.25 And O how piercing and appropriative of Christ was his Faith The Fathers in Moses's time did all eat the same spiritual meat and all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.3 4. And how this feeding on Christ should be without Faith I know not Vnto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them saith the Apostle Heb. 4.2 They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelized they had Christ set before them And we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they saith St. Peter Act. 16.11 We shall be saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the very same manner as they were saved that is we and they are both saved by Faith in Jesus Christ and his Grace Again it is to be considered that the Sacrifices under the Law were ordained to be as Types and shadows of Christ to make an Atonement for sin as appears in Leviticus not that the Sacrifices themselves were an absolute real Atonement in themselves but a typical one pointing out the only true atoning expiatory Sacrifice of Jesus Christ Now either God did reveil to the Jews at least wise to the Believers among them the typicalness the true use and end of those Sacrifices or not if he did reveil it to them then all true Believers among them did not hang upon the Shadow and outward Sacrifice only but by their Faith did fix upon Christ and his precious Blood but if he did not reveil it to them the Sacrifices even of those Believers must be all miscarriages nothing but meer blots and Errata's they must be offered up not in Faith but in mistake in the belief of an utter falsity that is in the belief of that impossible
those external Ceremonies of Circumcision Washing Purifications and Sacrifices This was the design of the Gospel to work in us that inward Holiness and Purity which is the perfection and accomplishment of the typical and figurative Righteousness of the Law I know very well that this place is expounded of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness but is there any mention here of the Righteousness of Christ That he fulfilled all Righteousness for us that his Righteousness is imputed to us and so we fulfil the Righteousness of the Law in him The Apostle's design is to shew the great Virtue of the Gospel in delivering from the power of sin which the Law could not effect The Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus that divine and spiritual Law which Christ hath given us which governs our Minds and is a Principle of Spiritual Life makes us free from the Law of sin and death from the power and dominion of sin which is called a Law and the Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh what the Law could not do to deliver us from the power and dominion of sin this God effected by sending Christ into the world to publish the Gospel to us and confirm the Promises and Threatnings conteined in it with his Blood that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit How can Imputation come in here What pretty sence would this make of the Apostle's Argument The Law was too weak to make men throughly good to conquer their sin reform their hearts and lives therefore God sent his Son into the world What for to give them better Laws more excellent Promises and more powerful assistances to do good No by no means but to fulfil all Righteousness for them that they may fulfil the Righteousness of the Law not by doing any thing themselves but by having all done for them by having Christ's Righteousness imputed to them There was no reason to abrogate the Law of Moses for this end it might have continued in force still and have been as available to Salvation as the Gospel is with the supplemental Righteousness of Christ but the weakness of the Law the Apostle complains of was not the want of an imputed Righteousness which might have been had as well under the Law as under the Gospel if God had pleased but a want of strength and power to subdue the sinful appetites of men It was weak through the flesh by the prevalency of lusts which the Law could not conquer therefore the Gospel must supply this defect not by imputed Righteousness but by an addition of power to enable men to do that which is good to fulfil the Righteousness of the Law by a sincere and Spiritual Obedience The Righteousness of the Law as you have already heard is an external Righteousness Answer Thus the Author We have heard so from the false Glosses of the Pharisees we have had such a rumour from the Socinians as if the Law were but a lame imperfect thing Socinus as I have him quoted by Calovius was not afraid to say That Praecepta Veteris Testamenti were levia vana parùm Deo digna but surely this will not down with Christians The Law is Sanctio sancta the Image of the divine Sanctity the Summary of all Duties The Psalmist in the 19. Psalm having set forth how the Glory of God breaks forth from the Sun and Heavens elevates his discourse to the pure Law which as it enlightens the inner Man is a brighter Luminary than the Sun which shines to Sense and as it comprizes all Duties within it self is a nobler Circle in Morality than the Heavens which environ all other Bodies are in Nature The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is pure making wise the simple saith the Psalmist in that place So perfect it is that nothing is to be added to it or diminished from it Deut. 4.3 so spiritual that even the Saints under the Gospel are but carnal in respect of it Rom. 7.14 It calls upon us to love the Lord with all our heart with all our soul and with all our might Deut. 6.5 to love him in such a divine degree as to love nothing else suprà aequè or contrà and is this external Righteousness Or what is inner purity if this be not so It tells us Non concupisces and so meets with the very first risings of corrupt Nature with the very motions and titillations of the flesh it would have an heart all of purity and holiness without any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reliques of corruption in it and what can be more divine St. Paul therefore saith that in his Pharisaism he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Law because without a sense of its spiritual Nature Rom. 7.9 Unless we own its divine Spiritualty we are as it were without it In a word whatsoever it be that makes up the just posture of Man towards God or his Fellow-creatures is there delineated in such accuracy and full perfection as no man in this life but Jehovah our righteousness only ever arrived at But to go on with the Author The Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ is internal This God requires of us under the Gospel Thus the Author To which I answer The Author pag. 259. makes the Righteousness of Faith in those under the Old Testament distinct from the Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ and here he makes the Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ to consist in internal holiness and renovation But surely there were New Creatures under the Old Testament as well as there are under the New Job was a perfect an upright man and therefore a New Creature David a man after Gods own heart and therefore a New Creature without this internal renovation there could not have been that circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 nor the law in the heart which is made the Character of a righteous man Psal 37.31 That Covenant of writing the Law in the heart Jer. 31.33 was in substance one and the same in both Testaments Those under the Old Testament unless regenerate could never have entred so holy a place as Heaven that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or general Assembly which takes in all the Saints of the Old Testament is the Church of the first born Heb. 12.23 There are none else but New Creatures in it However the Racovian Catechist appropriates the New Creation to the New Testament yet I must assert that it was under both Testaments but under neither was it the justifying Righteousness But the Author goes on God sent his son into the world that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8.3 4. that we might have inward holiness and purity that we might be delivered from
justifying Grace to be donum in Animainhaerens Renovation and Regeneration Against this our Protestant Divines have sufficiently testified Indeed no man who understands either himself and his own Errata's or the necessary distinction which is to be made between Justification and Sanctification can assert it And now nothing remains to be our Righteousness in Justification but the Obedience and atoning Blood of Christ and these cannot be applied to us and become ours but by Imputation By this it appears that the Blood of Christ doth not only confirm the Covenant but that it justifies us also And this further appears by the place quoted by the Author Moses sprinkled the blood on the book and on all the people Heb. 9.19 He did not only confirm the Covenant but sprinkled the People too this was the Type or Figure but Christ who is the Substance not only confirms the Covenant but sprinkles the hearts of Believers by his Blood Hence their hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience Heb. 10.22 and they have the sprinkling of the blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 But to go on The Scripture saith the Author uses these phrases promiscuously to be justified by Faith by Christ by Grace nay by believing that Christ is the Son of God or risen from the dead To which I answer All these concurr to the same Justification but not in the same manner Grace which is the inward impulsive Cause of Justification is not Christ or his Blood the Blood of Christ which is the Matter of our Righteousness is not Faith Faith which is the Hand to receive Christ and Grace is not the Gospel the Charter of Justification which contains the Evangelical Axioms such as those touching Christ's being the Son of God or touching his Resurrection from the dead are These are distinct things and not to be confounded As for that place Eph. 2.14 15 16. the Apostle speaks indeed of reconciling Jews and Gentiles but that is not all he speaks too of reconciling both to God ver 16. and of making them one new man in himself ver 15. which notes a further reconciliation than that among themselves even a conjunction with God and Christ according to our Saviours Prayer That they maybe one in us Joh. 17.21 Christ saith the Author abrogated the Mosaical Law I answer He did so as to Types and Ceremonials but the Moral Law which is immortalized by its intrinsecal Sanctity stands to this day and the Grace which was under the Old Testament was not abrogated but made more illustrious than it was before The Gentiles saith the Author were at a distance from God But if they had natural Faith and could by it please God the distance was less and more tolerable though they were but in the outward Court of the Temple nay though they were a thousand miles off from it they would do well enough in the other world Mr. Sherlock Thus the Jews are said to be redeemed from the curse of the Law by the accursed death of Christ upon the Cross Gal. 3.13 Because the death of Christ put an end to that Legal dispensation and sealed a new and better Covenant between God and Man and the Gentiles were redeemed from their vain conversation received from their fathers that is from those idolatrous and impure practices they were guilty of not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.18 19. Now the Gentiles were delivered from their Idolatry by the preaching of the Gospel which is called their being redeemed by the blood of Christ because we owe this unspeakable blessing to his death Thus the Jews are redeemed from the curse of the Law by the accursed death of Christ Answer Gal. 3.13 so the Author and thus Socinus De Servat part 2. cap. 1. Ad Judaeos tantùm pertinet This belongs only to the Jews But the Curse which fell upon Christ was not a ceremonial one but a real such as put him into Agonies and a bloody Sweat neither were the Jews only redeemed from it but the Gentiles also what else was this to the Galatians who were Gentiles Were not the Gentiles also under the Curse and by nature children of wrath No doubt they were the Apostle saith That Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ ver 14. And surely he would not argue from the Redemption of the Jews only to the Benediction of the Gentiles but from what was common to both of them The Gentiles were redeemed from their vain conversation that is from their idolatrous practices with the blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. that is they were delivered by the preaching of the Gospel So the Author But when they were redeemed from their vain Conversation they were redeemed from the guilt of it and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this was not the Gospel but the precious Blood of Christ who was a Lamb without blemish and without spot Those men are injurious to the Blood of Christ Mr. Sherlock who attribute no more to it than a non-imputation of sin That by his death Christ Dr. Owen Com. 193. bearing and undergoing the punishment due to us paying the ransom due for us delivered us from the wrath and curse of God And thus by Christ's death all cause of quarrel is taken away But then this will not complete our acceptation the old quarrel may be laid aside and yet no new friendship begun we may be not sinners and yet not so far righteous as to have a right to the Kingdom of heaven So that the Blood of Christ only makes us innocent delivers us from guilt and punishment but if we will take the Doctor 's word for it it can give us no title to Glory this is owing to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to the Obedience of his Life But you see the Scripture gives us a quite different account of it we are said to be justified and redeemed by the Blood of Christ nay We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus Heb. 10.19 which is an allusion to the high Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies which was a Type of Heaven with the blood of the Sacrifice Thus by the Blood of Christ we have admission into heaven it self though the Dr. says That the Blood of Christ makes us innocent but cannot give us a Title to Heaven The Scripture takes no notice of their artificial Methods That the guilt of sin is taken away by the death of Christ and that we are made righteous by his Righteousness But the Blood of Christ is said to justifie us and to give us admission into the holiest of all into heaven it self nay we are made righteous by the death of Christ too 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in
good men Very true he doth not a Saint of God may walk in darkness The face of God may be hid from him And that saith Mr. Shephard because there is in many an one an heart desirous of his Love and this would quiet them if they were sure of it The Author thinks this hard measure But Mr. Shephard goes on they never came to be quieted with Gods will in case they think they shall never partake of Gods love but are above that opposite resist quarrel with that the Lord therefore intending his favour for humbled sinners hides his face till they lye low And now I suppose the measure is fair it is very fit we should know our selves to be but receivers and withall unworthy of the Mercies we receive But how do we know that it is the testimony of the Spirit indeed and not a cheat or imposture To satisfie this we are directed to marks Thus this infallible testimony of the Spirit must in its lastiresolve be founded upon moral evidence So the Author To which I answer When the Spirit witnesseth with our spirit when Gods Spirit and Mans concurr and so heaven and earth agree in it one would think it might pass without further examination The Testimony of the Spirit is such that he to whom it made certainly knows that it is the Spirit of Truth it self which bears the Testimony otherwise the Spirit it self testifies and would not be believed by him to whom the Testimony is made that is he testifies and doth not testifie if he do not make a man sure who it is that testifies The Testimony is to make us sure that we are the children of God it is to make us with confidence cry out Abba Father It is to be an earnest and seal of our Salvation and how can this be if we know not who testifies Hence St. Chrystom upon the place saith The Spirit beareth witness and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What doubt can remain Hence reverend Dr. Ward saith Parum abest à blasphemiâ dicere De certitud Grat. 221. non esse certum illum cui testimonium perhibet Spiritus Sanctus utrum testimonium illud a Spiritu Sancto sit an à diabolo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this it appears that the Testimony of the Spirit is not such as gives only a conjectural certainty but an infallible one But to proceed What are the marks of our being in Christ Have you the Spirit of Christ This saith the Author is just as easie to know as whether you be in Christ Yet this is a mark in the Apostle If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Is your faith of the right stamp wrought by the Almighty Power of God This saith the Author is as easie to know as the former Yet the Apostle would have us examine our selves whether we be in the Faith that is whether we have a true genuine Faith 2 Cor. 13.5 True Faith where ever it is makes Christ to belong to him that hath it Doth Faith purifie the heart overcome the world work by love bring forth holy fruit These are as the Author confesses true marks but these men do but complement Holiness And now we must hear his reasons for it For first Holiness is not necessary to our Vnion to Christ Mr Sherlock and therefore can be no necâ—ssary sign of it We are united to Christ 〈◊〉 we are holy an unholy man may be united to Christ and how can Holiness be the only sure mark of our Vnion to Christ They tell us That Holiness doth necessarily follow Union But no man knows how long it may be before it follows yet all this while such a person is united to Christ at least this gives evidence but to one part of the question an holy life is an evidence of a man in Christ but the want of it is no evidence that a man is not in him This mark may be rejected by any one who hath no mind to it Nay secondly according to these mens principles we cannot tell whether we be holy or not till we know whether we be in Christ or not our Vnion to Christ must be an evidence of our Holiness not our Holiness an evidence of our Vnion till we are united to Christ we can do nothing to please God The best actions of christless men are but Splendida peccata glittering impieties appearing fair but odious to God because the person who does them is out of Christ Our persons must be first accepted in Christ and then our services we cannot judge of Holiness by the external performance of any duties nor by the inward sense of our minds but must first know whether we be in Christ whether our persons be accepted in him before we can tell whether any thing we do be good And this is a plain demonstration that Holiness cannot be an evidence of our Vnion to Christ because we must first know our Vnion before we can know that we are holy So much Holiness Mr. Sherlock as is included in true Faith is necessary to our Union to Christ an unholy man that is a wicked man cannot be united to Christ believers are not such but an unholy man that is one who yet hath not lead an holy life may be united to Christ and his after holy life is a sure mark of that Union because a necessary essect thereof But when doth the holy life follow that Vnion I answer immediately Thus our Church tells us in the twelfth Article That good works do spring necessarily out of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit The want of an holy life in the very instant of believing is not an evidence that a man is not is Christ but soon after the want of it will tell him that his Faith was but a fancy and his being in Christ but a dream The best actions of christless men are I confess as our Church tells us in the thirteenth Article not pleasant to God nay they have the nature of sin without Faith it is impossible to please God in our persons or actions our persons must first be accepted in Christ and then our services the best actions of a man not in Christ are not acceptable to God Those actions cannot be acceptable to him whose defects are unpardoned and the defects of those actions are unpardoned whilst their Agent is so But the Author from hence concludes That Holiness cannot be an evidence of our Vnion to Christ because we must first know our Vnion before we can know that we are holy To which I answer Our Union to Christ cannot be known to be so without a knowledge of Faith nor an holy life cannot be known to be so without a knowledge of Faith because without Faith neither can be in reality when we see our Faith flowing out in an holy life we see
and miss of Heaven And yet when he was in a more gentle humour he told the poor doubting soul that desire nay that a desire only to desire at two or three removes was enough But I am zealous so was Jehu and Paul while a Pharisee in persecuting the Church and therefore an universal religious well-governed zeal for God can be no sign of Grace But I am constant and persevere in godly courses so did the young man all these have I kept from my youth only he left Christ for the sake of his riches and so did not persevere But I do all with a good heart for God so thou mayst think of thy self and be deceived And if this be an objection let a man have what marks he will the objection will still be good and so all evidences signifie nothing for after all a man may be deceived in it and think he hath those marks when he hath them not There is a way that seemeth right to man but the end thereof is death thou mayst live so as to deceive thy self and others and yet prove an hypocrite as if because some men may think themselves good who are in a bad estate no man could ever be sure that he is in the right And thus farewel all evidences There is reason to administer comfort to wounded Souls from the lowest measures of Grace Answer and no less to pluck down the proud Plumes of Hypocrites from the inward and pure spirituality of Religion Our Saviour doth both he gave out gracious Promises to mourners and to the poor in spirit and he poured out woes upon the Pharisees and upon all the pomp of their external righteousness But saith the Author they do so magnifie the attainments of Hypocrites that a sanctified man can do no more than an Hypocrite and so all the evidences of Sanctification are spoiled But how so do they paint the Hypocrite fairer than he is Do they attribute to him a jot or tittle more than what is true No surely an Hypocrite may be no Drunkkard or Swearer he may escape the pollutions of the World that is gross sins and though he be not entangled therein again and so a Swine in his outward converses yet he may be such inwardly his inward parts may be wickedness and uncleanness He may live a blameless innocent honest smooth life and yet be foul within He may fast pray hear read the Scriptures and yet his heart not right in the sight of God He may have some kind of sorrow or repentance some kind of love to good men and yet like the foolish Virgins have no Oyl in his Lamp no true Grace with his profession He may have a notional knowledge and yet not be Sanctified by the Truth He may keep a Sabbath in the outward decorum of it and yet want the Spirit and Life of it a delight in the Almighty He may have some kind of zeal and some desires after Heaven and yet not of the right stamp He may presume that he hath a good heart and a godly course and be deceived in both all this is true Now one Truth cannot oppose another The truth which concerns the attainments of Hypocrites cannot oppose that which concerns the evidences of Sanctification The outward reformation is an evidence not meerly as it is outward but as it flows from Faith and a pure heart Fasting prayer hearing reading are evidences not meerly in opere operato in the work done but in the doing of them in a Spiritual manner Faith and Hope and holy Love being actuated therein Keeping the Sabbath is an evidence not meerly in the outward observation of it But when it is filled up with Duties spiritually performed Knowledge Zeal Repentance Love to good Men are Graces when of the right stamp but meer notion which swims in the brain is not that sanctifying Knowledge which influences Holiness into the Heart and Life Every heat upon a Religious account is not true Zeal but that celestial Fire which rightly inflames the heart for the glory of God Every sorrow or pressure from the Law is not true repentance but that which melts the heart into tears for the sinfulness of sin Every respect to good men is not the right love but that which flows out of love to God and points to the Divine Image in them Desires after Heaven may be a mark of a good Estate but then they must be such as are vertually Grace and issue out of poverty of spirit A man may think he hath a good heart and a godly course and be deceived therein yet it follows not that we must bid farewel to evidences an holy life issuing out of a pure heart will still be an evidence to him who hath it But after all this Mr. Sherlock it would be worth while to know how to distingush a regenerate from an unregenerate man and that he tells us may be done thus An unregenerate man let him go never so far do never so much yet he lives in some one sin or other This now is very strange What go never so far and do never so much and yet live in some one sin or other what live a blameless innocent honest smooth life and yet live in some one sin or other Yet suppose he did a regenerate man may be in captivity to the Law of sin And pray what 's the difference But then an ungenerate man cannot be poor in spirit and so carried out of all Duties to Christ That is if an unregenerate man do good he is conscious to himself that he doth it If he have a good heart he feels a good heart in himself and in all he doth and therefore feels not a want of all good which is true poverty of spirit So that according to this discourse the surest mark of a regenerate man is either to have no good in himself or if he have any to be mistaken and think he hath none either of which I think is a very odd sign of Grace But then an unregenerate man comes to Christ but he never gets into Christ never takes up his eternal rest and lodging in Jesus Christ only I thought coming had been believing and that believing would have done the business And if so God forbid that any man should be damned for want of that other Metaphor of taking up his eternal rest and lodging in Christ Men in distress of conscience that 〈◊〉 unregenerate men under such distress If they have comfort from Christ they are contented If Salvation from Hell by Christ they are contented and I think they have some reason then to be contented But Christ himself that is without Comfort and without Salvation contents them not Now to be contented with Christ without comfort and salvation is so far from being the mark of an unregenerate man that I am not yet satisfied that it is the mark of an unreasonable man An unregenerate man Answer let him go never so far do
he be a Christian whether he heartily believe and obey the Gospel and herein consists our Vnion to Christ and fellowship with him let us then leave those other dim notions to men who can believe what no man can understand who despise every thing that can be understood as if it were no better than carnal reason The Author Answer who hitherto hath highly though without cause charged his opposites with violating the evidences of Christians doth now himself blast the highest of all evidences the Testimony of the holy Spirit which is so clealy asserted by the holy Apostle that the Jesuits themselves though hotly disputing against assurance never yet attempted totally to deny it The Testimony of the Spirit saith the Author concerns the general adoption of Christians not to testifie to any particular man It is not a private but a publick Testimony given to the whole Church But let us consider the Text it self in the Apostle The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit the Apostle speaks not of the Spirit as shewing forth it self in Miracles and Tongues but as sanctifying and sealing Believers he speaks of the spirit dwelling in them vers 9. Mortifying the deeds of the body in them vers 13. Leading of them vers 14. Making them cry Abba Father vers 15. And then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the self same spirit beareth witness Here is not one jot or tittle of Miracles or Tongues the testimony of the Spirit in Miracles or Tongues is an external one which runs into the senses But the Testimony of the Spirit in the Text is internal it beareth witness not to our senses but to our Spirits It is said to be sent forth into our hearts Gal. 4.6 The Testimony is not without in Miracles or Tongues but within in the heart The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit the Apostle saith not it beareth witness with the Spirit of the Church for there is one body and one spirit the Spirit of the Church Catholick is the holy Spirit which quickens the whole Mystical Body of Christ And these words The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit cannot be translated thus The Spirit beareth witness with it self but the plain meaning is It beareth witness with our spirit that is with the spirits and consciences of particular Believers And what doth it testifie The Apostle tells us That we are the children of God We particular Believers are so Thus in another place ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1.13 Ye particular Believers were so And again He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 He hath dealt so with us in particular The Testimony of the Spirit in the Gospel is that all Believers are the Sons of God But the Testimony of the Spirit in our spirits is that we are Believers and so the Sons of God in particular This Testimony of the Spirit though so fully asserted in Scripture Nay and I will add though so sweetly experimented by the dear Saints of God that they have thought themselves in the very borders of Heaven in respect of it is yet with the Author no better than a dim unintilligible notion and as he speaks a little before a private Enthusiasm But why unintelligible cannot the holy Spirit so illustrate and irradiate the heart that the truth of Grace may appear to the Believer that he may certainly see in his own heart that this is precious Faith and that is love in incorruption and so of other Graces there Or what if it were unintelligible Shall we cast off the Divine Revelation because above our narrow reason What then must become of those Mysteries of the Trinity and hypostatical Union What of that peace of God which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passing or transcending all understanding Phil. 4.7 Surely in such things reason must vail and do homage to Revelations Ephraem Syrus discerning an heretical propensity in his Disciple Paulinus gave him that excellent advice Vide Pauline ne te submittas tuis cogitationibus sed cum te perfecte comprehendisse Deum putaveris crede nec intellexisse We must not commit Divine Mysteries to the measures of Humane Reason but take them as they are in Scripture But this Testimony of the Spirit is but a private Enthusiasm saith the Author To which I answer We are now more afraid of Enthusiasm than they were of old Dyonisius would have the Hierarch to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Eccles Hierarch to be a divine man and a kind of Euthusiast Ignatius in the Epistle to the Romans saith That he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum arbitrium Dei as if he had wrote by impulse and Inspiration And as Dr. Arrowsmith hath it in Suidas and Hesykius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enthusiasm is when the whole soul is irradiated by God And in this sence I wish with him Vtinam essemus omnes Enthusiastae Would we were all Enthusiasts It s true there is not now an Enthusiasm of gifts in an extraordinary way but sure there must be still in the use of the means an Enthusiasm of Graces in Regeneration and an Enthusiasm of comforts in the Testimony of the Spirit or else which is quite contrary to Scripture there must be no new Creatures but what are of Mans own making nor no Divine comforts for them but what are of Mans own gathering The Just need no longer live by Faith or in dependence upon the Divine Spirit but may have his being and well-being his graces and comforts all from himself CHAP. V. Sect. 1. CHrist hath reveiled the whole mind and will of God Mr. Sherlock in such a plain and familiar manner that every one may understand it who will but exercise the same reason in it that he doth to understand the Laws of his Prince Before the Author took away the witnessing Spirit now the illuminating one Answer A Man may according to him understand the things of God by the exercise of his reason Thus Episcopius Men may by meer natural perception without any supernatural superinfused light understand the Will of God After the same manner speak the Socinians The darkness for such are all the unregenerate Men may it seems comprehend the Evangelical light But the Apostle tells us That the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 That flesh and blood doth not reveil these things but our Father in Heaven Matth. 16.17 Hence the Apostle prays for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the Ephesians Ephes 1.17 Hence our Church tells us 2. Hom. of Scripture That the Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of Scripture into us In truth we cannot without him attain true saving knowledge According to these Men Mr. Sherlock the love of Christ is a love to the person of a Believer without considering any
therefore cannot be given to them for any precedent Grace in them or indeed for any reason at all in them unless which is very odd we presume them to be given to them for the goodness of their Nature The Scripture clearly resolves it into the Soveraign will of God He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.18 He begets us of his own will Ja. 1.18 He begets us according to his abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1.3 He worketh to will to do of his good pleasure Ph. 2.13 Neither is it possible to be otherwise his love of Benevolence is the Fountain and great Origen of all the goodness in the Creature and how or which way shall the goodness of the Creature be the cause or reason of that love All the goodness in the Creature is but a donative of Divine love and if so then the Divine love was antecedent to that goodness in the Creature Now these things being clearly so in Scripture and reason I suppose there is little reason and less Religion to say That God loves for no reason or without reason that that Man is a Fool who loves at this rate that it is a reproach among Men so to Act with such other stuff which I pray God to forgive unto the Speaker If there be reason for any thing in the World there is for this That God the supream Donor should do what he would with his own That Man the poor Receiver should not expostulate with God or think to call him to an account for any of his matters That the regenerating Spirit should be at liberty and breath where it lists That all Gods gifts should be free and of his good pleasure there being in the Creature nothing that is good but what is a meer gift only But saith the Author This undermines the foundations of Religion if God love for no reason whether we obey him or disobey him it is all one if God love us our sins cannot hinder it if he love us not our holyness cannot alter him therefore all Religion is but in vain To which I answer This Argument runs upon two or three hypotheses which are untrue The Author supposes first that God's purpose or decretive love is what it is not the rule of our acting next that there is in God what indeed there is not some purpose or decree to bar some Men though never so holy out of Heaven And Thirdly That there is not what in truth there is a complacential love in God towards all holy Persons whoever they be Now these things are not so we say that God commands all in the Church to Repent and Believe that God hath made a general promise of Salvation to all that do so and withal that God hath a complacential love towards all holy persons whoever they be And these things considered surely Religion cannot be in vain or to no purpose As for the Philosophical nicety or verity rather if God be as he is a God and the supream Donor of all in reason all Creatures as Creatures must depend on him the Creator and as Receivers must depend on him the Donor And hence it is evident that all the grace and goodness in the Creature because a Creature must depend on him its Maker And because a gift must depend on him the Donor thereof Man though but a petty Benefactor is free in his gifts or else they would not be gifts how much more must God the supream Donor be so It is true when Men are good God such is the sanctity of his Nature doth take pleasure in them but to dispense grace or goodness to the Creature is his Royal prerogative he doth it according to the soveraign unaccountable pleasure of his will he was under no Natural necessity to give a Christ or a Gospel or a dram of Faith or holyness to any one fallen Man in the World what he gives he gives as he pleases out of meer Free grace It is true too when Men are good God such is his gracious promise will greatly reward them but it is he only who makes us good and so meet for the inheritance in light our goodness is of Grace and our reward is Grace upon Grace remunerating Grace upon sanctifying In a word the love of Gods Complacence respects goodness in the Creature but the love of Benevolence causes it and that freely in a way of unaccountable Soveraignty and this is so far from being a love without reason that without it it is impossible that there should be any goodness in the Creature Were there a goodness in the Creature antecedent to the love of his Benevolence it would be a beam without a Sun a gift without a Giver a strange independent self-originated goodness and that in the Creature which is as great an absurdity as can well be imagine Secondly Mr. Sherlock These Men tell us too that Christs love is immutable having once fixt his love upon us though without any reason he can never alter Sin it self cannot separate us from the Love of Christ If sin foreseen were not able to hinder him from planting his heart on us How then shall it that is sin committed be able to over-turn the thoughts of his heart when once they are fixed on us This is a strong fixed Love indeed which sin it self cannot alter But how wise and holy a Love it is let any man judge Herein Dr. Owen tells us the depth of Christs Love is to be contemplated that whereas his holy Soul hates every sin it is a burden an abomination a new wound to him and his poor Spouse that is sinful Believers are full of sin failings infirmities he hides all covers all bears all rather than he will loose them He adds indeed by his power preserving them from such sins as a remedy is not provided for in the Covenant of Grace I suppose he means the sin against the holy Ghost for there is a remedy provided for all other sins in the Covenant of Grace and all other sins a Believer it seems may be guilty of and Christ will hide all rather than lose him Now this is as down-right Antinomianism as ever Dr. Crisp or Saltmarsh vented There have been and are to this day a great many wise learned men who contend for the perseverance of the Saints that those who are once in a state of Grace shall always continue so But then they found this not on such an immutable Love as sin it self cannot alter for this is not reconcilable with the Holiness of the Divine Nature nor with those threatnings in Scripture against such back-sliders When the righteous man turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that a wicked man doth he shall dye Ezek. 18.24 If any man turn back my soul shall have no pleasure in him which is a plain demonstration the truth of which is which is acknowledged by all sober Writers that if
AN ANSWER TO THE Discourse OF Mr. WILLIAM SHERLOCK TOUCHING The Knowledge of Christ and our Union and Communion with Him By EDWARD POLHILL of Burwash in Sussex Esquire LONDON Printed for Ben. Foster and are to be sold by most Book-sellers in London MDCLXXV TO THE READER IN that excellent Piece the Soul of Man which is too great for this lower World and in the very Frame of it aspires after an Infinite Good the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or uppermost Room is the Vnderstanding and among all the Truths which are the Furniture thereof none are so rich as those Theological ones which are drawn out of the Golden Mines of Scripture Arts and Sciences are in comparison but the Poor of the Mind the Riches and Treasures of Knowledge lie in Evangelical Mysteries these out-shine the Sun and out-weigh the Earth They have the highest Certainty as coming down immediately from heaven and withall the noblest Tendency as leading us thither Infinite Truth is the Fountain and infinite Goodness the Center of them These when in their Lustre make a spiritual Day and derive such a pure Influence upon the Hearts and Lives of Men as moulds them into the Divine Image and thereby makes them meet for the bliss-making Vision in Heaven No sooner can these be under an Eclipse but there will be a Night and a Chaos of confusions the Path of Life and Happiness will be wrapt up in darkness black Legions of Errors and Corruptions will creep forth and pious Souls will wish for the day I mean for a fresh Illustration of Truths from that sacred Spirit which at first breahed them out into the World and after all the Clouds and dark Veils put upon them can bring them forth in their Oriency and true Glory These to Believers are as Pearls and sacred Jewels dearer than the Apple of their Eye nay than their own Souls They build upon them by Faith espouse them by divine Love lay them up in a pure Conscience distil the Vertue of them into a holy Life and if it were possible they would have none of the sacred Light put out nor the least Jot or Tittle of those Truths fall to the ground O what a rate did the famous St. Austin and others set upon God's special Effectual Grace How highly did the heroical Luther value the Point of Justification Jacente articulo Justificationis jacent omnia saith he as if a Christians All were in it When such Truths are violated Christians how meek soever in other things must earnestly contend and not give place no not for an hour here if ever Luther's pia sancta pertinacia is in season Not to stay any longer on the excellencies and great Concerns of Evangelical Truths which no tongue of Men or Angels is able fully to express I shall now speak a little touching Mr. Sherlock's Book When I read it I thought my self in a new Theological World Believers appearing without their Head for want of a Mystical Vnion strip'd and naked for lack of imputed Righteousness the full treasures of Grace in Christ which have supplied all the vessels of faith emptied out of sacred his person transfused into the doctrine of the Gospel as if according to Pelagius all Grace were in doctrine only The holy Spirit the great Origen of Graces and Comforts in its Illumination seems to be superfluous in its Testimony to Believers an Enthusiastical Fancy and in the work of Regeneration if any at most but a partial Co-cause parting stakes with the Will of Man Faith in Abel and Enoch lying as low as Natural Principles in Noah and Abraham raised up a little to particular Revelations but not so high as the Messiah In Christians standing off and at a distance from Christ its dear Object not daring to lay hold on or so much as touch him to draw any Vertue from thence As if Socinus had hit it right when he said Christi apprehensio merum commentum inanissimum somnium est The immutable Love of God the only Cement of the Church seems to be turned off from Persons to Qualities and towards Persons to be as variable as the fickle Will of Man is and yet he is immutable still he loves for the same Reason or as Socinus saith Non sine causa mutat The Pontifician Thesis touching Justification by inherent Righteousness seems to be revived a fresh and that in a way less tolerable than among the Romanists They though they would have inherent Righteousness come in for a share yet allow the Imputation of Christs passive Obedience but in the New Scheme inherent Righteousness takes up all the room and leaves none for imputed The Drollery and sarcastical Reflections in the Book are but the Cover of it within there is a dark Eclipse upon many excellent Truths which hitherto have been owned in the Churches of Christ and particularly in our own Among other Truths none have had a greater share of suffering than those two touching our Mystical Vnion with Christ and the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us both which are to me very momentous The Mystical Vnion hath I suppose been generally received in the Church Indeed Gregory de Valentia once cavilled at it as if it were Mysterium Calvinisticum and yet he seems to own it when he saith Animum nostrum posse per fidem corpus Christi etiam ut in coelo existens atque adeo ut est extra Sacramentum manducare He that denies the Mystical Vnion cannot hold the head Jesus Christ from which all the body by joynts and bands hath nourishment ministred Col. 2.19 Take away that Vnion and Christ is a Head of no Influence the Joynts and the Bands which were made to convey divine Nutriture from him are but empty Titles and signifie no more than those Conduit-pipes do which are severed from the Fountain Again he that denies the Mystical Vnion must lose that piece of his Creed the Communion of Saints their Communion among themselves primarily depends on their Vnion with Christ the Head from whom the whole body is fitly joyned together and compacted as the Apostle tells us Eph. 4.16 All the Harmonies in the Body Mystical hang on its Vnion with the Head without this Believers could have no Communion one with another save in this only that they must all die one common death hy being severed from their Head The living Stones once off from their Foundation can hang no longer together in the spiritual Building but must totter down into a Chaos of Confusion Moreover he that denies the mystical Vnion must turn off the Believer from his true standing according to the Gospel the Believer is a man in Christ he is built on him as on a Foundation he subsists in him as the Branches do in the Vine he hath vital Influences from him as the Members have from the Head he is acted by his divine Spirit in all the pure ways to heaven and all this is his security his
preservation in Jesus Christ But take away the Mystical Vnion he is a man out of Christ he stands upon his own bottom he subsists by himself alone he receives no influences from Christ the Head nor is acted by any higher Spirit than his own and in such a case the next news we hear of him must be an utter downfall But to say no more of the Mystical Vnion that other Point touching the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to us hath also been ever owned in the Church he that denies it must I fear in the consequent overturn the Law the Gospel and the Satisfaction of Christ He must overturn the Law for he must own a Justification without a Righteousness answering thereunto inherent Righteousness being imperfect and imputed a Nullity there is nothing to answer the Law and yet we are justified which is as much as to say the Law is no Law If it be a Law none can be justified without a Righteousness adequate to it if we may be justified without such a Righteousness the Law is no Law which is what the Antinomians would have That a Law should be in force and a man should be justified without an adequate Righteousness and that before a most righteous Judge who judgeth according to truth is utterly impossible Again he must overturn the Gospel and that upon a double account The one is this He must subvert the Promises of Justification made in the Gospel the Promises run thus That we shall be justified by Christ's blood made righteous by his obedience that his blood shall cleanse away sin and purge our consciences from dead works and how can these be fulfilled without an Imputation To say that Christ's Blood founded the Covenant will not serve the turn these are Promises of a Covenant founded already and a founded Covenant doth not promise the founding of it self Christs blood as it founded the Covenant is precedent to the Promises and by it as such the Promises cannot be fulfilled for then they should be fulfilled before they were made or at least in the making of them It remains therefore that Christs righteousness must be made ours by imputation thereby the promises may be made good to us If the Promises mean as they speak then we must be justified by Christs blood obedience which infers Imputation if the Promises how plain how emphatical soever the words be mean not that we shall be justified by Christ's Blood or Righteousness then Christ shed his Blood for us that we might be justified without it he satisfied for us that we might be pardoned without a satisfaction which is an odd reflection on his satisfaction if not a total evacuation of it The other is this he must pervert the Conditions of the Gospel from their true end and scope These Conditions were in infinite Wisdom accommodated and attempered to the death of Christ which founded them they were made to be subordinate and subservient to Christ's satisfaction and the glory of it The Faith required in them was not intended to be the matter of our Justification and in that notion to discharge and justifie us the main scope and end of those conditions was to shew upon what terms Christ's righteosness and satisfaction should discharge and justifie us Now as long as these conditions are made but conditions as long as Faith keeps its proper station all is well and as it ought to be but if those conditions be advanced above their own station if our inherent righteousness be made the very matter of our Justification as indeed it must if imputed Righteousness be denied then the conditions of the Gospel are corrupted and perverted from their true end they are no longer subordinated to Christ's satisfaction but made to set up our inherent Righteousness in the room of it they shew no longer upon what terms Christs satisfaction shall discharge us but how our own Righteousness may do it which is plainly to pervert the conditions of the Gospel Moreover he must overturn the satisfaction of Christ Touching this three things are considerable viz. Christ's surrogation in our room Gods acceptation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on our behalf and the operation of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our discharge none of which can stand without an imputation The first thing is Christ's surrogation he suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 in stead of many he was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting his Soul in the room of ours or else he could not have satisfied for us Now that Christ should suffer in our room and stead and his sufferings should not be accounted or imputed to us is a contradiction take away Imputation and you take away Surrogation take away Surrogation and you take away Satisfaction The second thing is Gods acceptation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on our behalf Christs Sacrifice was a sweet-smelling savour unto God Eph. 5.2 God accepted it on our behalf or else Christ could not have satisfied for us Now that Christs sufferings should be accepted by God as on our behalf and yet that they should not be accounted or imputed is utterly impossible so far as Christs Satisfaction was accepted by God for us so far it must be imputed to us if it was accepted only for a remissibility then it is imputed no further but then remission will be without satisfaction which is what the Socinians would have but if as the truth is it was accepted for Remission and Justification to be dispensed upon believing then it is imputed to that end actually to justifie and discharge us Take away Imputation and you take away Acceptation and with it Satisfaction The third thing is the operation of Christ's satisfaction in our discharge Satisfaction is destructio obligationis it doth really and properly discharge him for whom it is made accepted absolutely it discharges him immediately accepted on terms it discharges upon the performance and that as properly and really though not so soon as in the other case its vertue and efficacy which was suspended by the condition breaks forth into effect upon the performance this is the nature and property of Satisfaction A Satisfaction which doth not discharge doth not satisfie that is in plain terms it is no Satisfaction Now the satisfaction of Christ doth no discharge us immediatly but upon believing which is the Evangelical Condition and how doth it do it Surely one of these two ways either it discharges us meerly as it founded the Covenant or else as it is made ours by Imputation the former cannot be it founded the Covenant before our believing if it do no more after it discharges us not for it doth as much before believing before which it discharges not as after It founded the Covenant for those that perish at least so far that upon believing they might have been justified if it do no more for those that are saved it discharges us not for it doth operate as much and as far
Glory in Heaven though it cannot but be more estimable than all the Providences in Nature must be a meer Pendant on the fickle Will of Man But the Author urges upon the Doctor That it is impossible for us according to his Principles to do any thing that is good that is I suppose without Faith in Christ without which our Church in her Homily of good Works declares that no good work can be done I take it for a very Truth That from the first good Thought to the last Act of an holy Life all that is truly good must come from Grace But saith the Author This turns us into meer Machins and pag. 379. he glosses upon one of his Opposites as if Christ were to make us willing against our will Unto which I answer The very same was cast into St. Austin's dish by the Pelagians Sub nomine inquiunt Ad Bonisacdib 2. cap. 5. Gratiae it a satum asserunt ut dicant quia nisi Deus invito reluct anti homini inspir averit boni ipsius imperfecti cupiditatem nec à malo declinare nec bonum posset arripere To which as a meer Calumny St. Austin returns That a man may as well call St. Paul fati assertorem for saying It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Indeed it is a very strange charge doth Grace destroy Nature or may we be willing against our Will It is impossible That of the Schoolman may reconcile the matter Voluntas humana induci potest ab agente creato mutari ab agente increato Bonaâ—â—â—â— in 〈◊〉 2.25 cogi à nullo The Will without ceasing to be it self cannot be compelled but Grace changes it without Coaction breaks off its Chains without destroying its Liberty and per suavissimam omnipotentiam makes the unwilling Will willing But still there is a more glorious Discovery behind that is Mr. Sherlock The glorious end whereunto Sin is appointed and ordained I suppose the Dr. means by God is discovered in Christ viz. for the demonstration of God's Vindictive Justice in measuring out to it a just recompense of reward and for the praise of Gods glorious Grace in the pardon and forgiveness of it that is It could not be known how just and severe God is but by punishing sin nor how good and gracious God is but by pardoning it And therefore lest his Justice and Mercy should never be known to the World he appoints and ordains Sin to this edd that is Decrees that men shall sin that he may make some vessels of wrath and others vessels of mercy This is a Discovery which Nature and Revelation could not make for Nature would teach us that so infinitely a glorious Being as God is needs not sin and misery to recommend his Glory and Perfections and that so holy a God who so perfectly hates every thing that is wicked would not truckle with Sin and the Devil for his glory and that so good a God had much rather be glorious in the happiness and perfection and obedience of his Creatures than in their sin and misery And Revelation tells us the same thing That God delights not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should return and live that is He had rather there were no occasion for punishing than be made glorious by such acts of vengeance Vindictive Justice and pardoning Mercy are but secondary Attributes of the Divine Nature and therefore God cannot primarily design the glorifying of them for that cannot be without designing the sin and misery of his Creatures which would be inconsistent with the goodness and holiness of his Nature And afterwards pag. 57. He appointed sin for the glory of his Justice and Grace and since nothing can withstand the Decrees of God it pleased God that Man should sin but when he hath sinned he is extremely displeased with it and now his Justice must be satisfied This falls hard on those miserable Wretches whose ill fortune it was without any fault of theirs to be left out of the Roll of Election and who have no way to satisfie divine Justice but by their eternal torments It is I suppose agreed by all that God did willingly permit the entry of sin upon the World of Angels and Men he could have kept all the Angels up in their primitive Station and then there would have been no Tempter to Man or had their been one he could have sent the holy Angels to warn him from the late downcast of their fellows against his own and to tell him that the poyson would come from the Serpent or if not that he could have sent him such strong auxiliaries of Grace as should have out wrestled the temptation he could no doubt as easily as he confirms the Saints and Angels in Heaven he could for ever have barred out sin but he would not he freely suffered it to come in only the question is How he did it Whether there be only a nude Permission such as leaves the event pendulous and uncertain till Man's Will hath determined or whether there be a Preordination of the Event so that it falls out infallibly Deo permittente and Creatura liberè agente Two things constrain me to believe the latter The one is this That without a Preordination the Event of sinful Actions must be casual and what then shall become of Providence The Moments which hang upon those Events are great and weighty Multitudes of Angels Courtiers of Heaven turn Apostates out of their Fall comes a Tempter who at one blow draws Man and all his Posterity into sin that entring into the world makes way for a glorious Redemption by Christ The Four first Monarchies rowl about upon the Lusts and Ambitions of Men The poor Church like the Ark floats upon the waters and now and then a storm of persecution comes dashing down upon it Errors and Heresies successively break forth as so many Torrents ready to carry away every Article of our Creed and what mighty Concerns are these Admirable are the Methods and Mysteries of Providence in and about such Events Joseph's Brethren sell him into Egypt and the Church is provided for in the famine Absolon goes in to his Fathers Concubines and David is visited for his Adultery Judah and Tamar commit Incest and this way came the holy One into the flesh The wicked Jews crucifie the Son of God and out comes the great Work of Redemption Persecutors scatter the Church and God by this means scatters the Gospel Act. 8. In such Actions as these the Light shines out of Darkness God's Mercy Justice Wisdom Holiness Power break forth out of Man's Cruelty Injustice Folly Filthiness and Weakness In every Ataxy God hath a secret Order either an Order of Penalty Sin punishing Sin or an Order of Conducibility Good coming out of Evil. Nullum est malum in mundo saith profound Bradwardine quod non est propter aliquod magnum