1. From Gods owne designation of the condition of that people to whom he gave this Law when as he calls them and reminds them in the preface That they were by him brought out of the Land of Epypt out of the house of bondage which agrees not with the condition of Pharaoh or any that stayed in the Land of Egypt and house of bondage or were else where scattered upon the face of the earth could he say to them or any of them Thee have I brought out and therefore thou shalt have c Secondly The Lord doth not promise I will be the Lord thy God upon condition that thou keep these commandments but declares absolutely to of that people to whom he gave the Law both in the preface and in the five first commandments that he actually and Antecedently was the Lord their God And now those expressions are used in Scripture of no other people but the children of Israel only whom he had already taken into the covenant made with Abraham the rest were accounted Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise having not hope and without God in the world Ephes. 2.11 Thirdly The Law upon Mount Sinai as is confest by all and is cleare Exod. 19. was given Sub Ratione foederis under the notion of a Covenant but no other people entered into covenant but onely the children of Israel Moses came and called for the elders of the people c. verse 7. and all the people answered together and said c. verse 8. they answered for thereby obliged themselves and their children but neither did they nor could they capitulate or make any restipulation for the Gentiles whom they represented not nor were the Gentiles nor any for them called to such a stipulation as is evident from verse 3 16. Fourthly The Law was but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a thing added to another not set up as a compleat ordinance of and by it self and therefore must be extended no further than that was to which it was added as subservient but that Scilicet the promise belongs only to Abraham and his seed and not to the rest of the world and so by consequence did the Mosaicall law and hence doth the Apostle say of the Iews to them belongeth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the covenants Rom. 9.4 And of the Gentiles that they were strangers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to the covenants Ephes. 2.11 Fiftly The Gentiles were made Proselites and circumcised before they were looked upon as obliged to or by the Law of Moses And hence Paul laies it down for a general rule and thereupon dehorts them from submitting to circumcision If any among you be circumcised he is a debtour to doe the whole Law Gal. 5.6 Sixthly The Scriptures hold forth the giving of the Law by Moses as a special prerogative and a peculiar priviledge vouch-safed to the Iews and not to other nations I have written to them the Honourable things of my Law Hos. 8.12 He hath not dealt so with any nation Psal 47.19.29 When the Gentiles which have not the Law Rom. 2.14 What advantage then hath the Iewes much chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.2 And it is reckōed amongst their other priviledges that unto thē appertaines the giving of the Law Rom. 9.4 Seventhly the Apostle writing to the Christians at Rome proves the Gentiles guiltie of sin from the Law of nature in the two first Chapters And the Iewes from the Law of Scriptures Chap. 3. from verse the first to the 19. And that he might charge those sinnes home upon the Iewes as the late English Annotatians observe he adds verse 19. whatsoever the Law saith Scilicet written it saith to them that are under the Law i. e. to the Iewes as is Generally agreed by commentatores Eightly The Law saith the same Apostle speaking of the Law which was ordained by Angels Gal. 3.19 and of himselfe and his Countrimen the Iewes as appeares from verse 23 the commutation of the persons verse 26 was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} our Scholemaster or as Leigh our child-leader which led us who were children and therefore not the Gentiles who were accounted as servants and not of Abrahames seed and only us while children And therefore not now being the Sons of God by saith in Christ Iesus verse 25.26 The Gentiles before conversion neither were nor are accounted {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} children And therefore not to be looked upon as put by the father under their paedagogie of the Law And now at conversion they receive the spirit of adoption and are Sons and so freed from that suppositive bondage of the Law under which they should have come at that time had not Christ by his death redeemed them from it Gal. 4.6.17 The third passage I can preach that which Iohn Baptist could not nay Christ in the flesh preached not 1. THe comparison betwixt Iohn Baptist and me or any other now a Gospel Preacher is not in respect of any personall worth whether naturall acquired or given as if in any of these we did excel Iohn Baptist and were thereby enabled to preach that which hee could not nor in respect of the effects and powerfulnesse of preaching for he went before him in the spirit and power of Elias he was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb many of the children of Israel did he turne to the Lord their God Luke 1.17 Nay he laid the Axe to the root of the Tree Mat. 3.10 and feld down the very generation of Vipers He forced them to disclaime their legal priviledges and righteousnesse brought them to confesse themselves sinners even as vile as beasts and as unfit as Stones Mat. 3.7.8.9 And to be washed in the same water with Publicans whom they loathed for Remission of sinnes But the comparison is in respect of the doctrine preached and that not because of any difference in the substance of doctrine as if Iohn had preached one Iesus and we another No for Iesus is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 But only in respect of some difference necessarily arising from the circumstance of time or the variation of the subjects condition in the severall times wherein we preach He living before and wee since that Houre of Christ whence we have the advantage to declare some things of and concerning Iesus which Iohn during his time could not And now 1. The making of the comparison is warranted by Christ himself Verily I say unto you among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than Iohn the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he Mat. 11.11 Here Christ compares Iohn with those that went before him and the least in the Kingdome of heaven that is the
ministerie of the Gospel say the English Annot is compared with and preferred before Iohn Secondly That the matter of the comparison or the thing wherein they are compared is their Doctrine Differenced as is alreadie said appeares First From that consideration in and upon which this excellencie is ascribed to Iohn above those that went before him which is as Luke explaines quatenus et quia as and because of the eminency of his prophesiing among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than Iohn Baptist Luke 7.28 that is that speakes so fully and clearely concerning Christ as Iohn doth For whereas They did only praedicare venturum foretell that he would come Ille monstrabat praesentem He plainly told and pointed him out as already come Behold the Lambe of God Iohn 1.29 et quanto majoreÌ„ c. as Pareus And by how much and in what sence he maketh Iohn greater than the Prophets of old by so much and in the same sense doth he make the least of the preachers of the Gospel more excellent then Iohn So that they doe not foretel with Daniel after seaventie weeks the most holy shall be Anointed to finish transgression and to make an end of sins Dan. 6.24 Nor tell with Iohn that the Lamb of God is come {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is taking away the sins of the world But Evangelize with Paul what neither Daniel nor Iohn could Scilicet that now once in the end of the world Christ hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 or in Daniels word hath finished transgression made an end of sins made reconciliation for iniquitie and brought in everlasting righteousnesse Secondly From the vnanimous consent of protestant Expositors who thus Interpret the place and clear it against the papists Greater than Iohn in dignitie of office and clearenesse and fulnesse of Doctrine in a publishing the entire performance of all things foretold of Christ as his Death Resurrection Ascention and Calling of the Gentiles which Iohn saw not English Annot And Thirdly An occational using of this comparison cannot soe farr as I apprehend be altogether deemed unseasonable in these daies of ours any more than in the daies of Christ considering that as the Iewish Doctors would allow no clearer nor fuller discovery of the Messias and his Kingdome than what had been made of old by Moses and the Prophets Soe many of the Apostles and mightie Scripturall men in our Israel will allow in effect no clearer nor fuller Gospell than what was preached by Iohn Scilicet That Christ is come and is taking away the sins of the world not that he is dead or rather risen againe and hath taken them away Heb. 1.3 Nay some are not so cleare but will needs make repentance continuall Baptisme washing away sins out of Gods sight And that not Sacramentall or Ratione signati as baptisme is said to doe when dispeâ—sced by the minister but instrumentally as a medium 〈◊〉 meanes vsed by Christians themselves which is such a kind of washing as I beleeve Iohn Baptist never knew of And had not such Doctors as these that are so great in the kingdome need of some little Aquila or Priscilla to pluck them by the sleeves and expound unto them the way of God more perfectly Acts 18.26 Beza taught that he denied Iesus to be the Messias qui in eo vno per vnicam ejus oblationem semel factam non confidit sese a deo patre gratis per fidem Iustificatum ac proinde tandem corpore et animo glorificandum But wee that are least in the kingdome may blot out justificatum and insteed of glorificandum write justificandum and yet Sine operibus it will not passe for Orthodox and classical with the Rabbies in our Northern Israel Brethren I am sure if not nearer kin to these Informers Secondly This latter comparison even as reported by these men is not de posse as if he that were least in the Kingdome of Heaven could preach that which Christ in the flesh could not The very mention of this sounds harsh to Christians cares neither can I say that in any sence its warrantable and edifying to make a comparison betwixt Christ and us but only de facto that he that 's least c. can preach that which Christ in the flesh that is before his death upon the crosse did not preach Not as if he could absolutely preach that or any thing else without Christ no for without him we can doe nothing But suppositively in case Christ be pleased to strengthen and enlighten him by his Spirit then he may doe this and all other things as he shall be called unto And the truth of this is evident For First Christ while in the flesh never preached those grand Articles of the Christian as distinguished from the Iewish faith Scilicet That he himselfe was crucified dead buried descended into hell rose again the third day from the dead and ascended into heaven which yet may now be triumphantly preached by him that is least in this Heavenly Kingdom Rom. 8.34 Secondly Christ tels his disciples in his last Sermon Iohn 16.12 13.14 That he had many things to say unto them which he forbare to declare at that time First because of their Infirmities yee cannot bear them now Secondly because he purposed to send his holie Spirit to comfort them after his departure Howbeit when the spirit of truth is come c. Thirdly because he knew this way of manifestation to make most for his owne glory He shall glorifie mee for he shal receive of mine and shew it unto you If any aske which be the things that were not shewed then and should afterwards It s conceived they are implyed in these words He shall shew you things to come And then if by things to come be ment such future Events as are the subject of prophesiing strictly soe called then were they shewed afterward to Iohn and by him recorded in his booke of Revelation If such Scriptural mysteries of the kingdome of heaven as for the hight and depth were not then Sutable to the disciples but should afterwards the Spirit once poured forth and Iesus Glorified be preached unto al the Saints theÌ„ were they revealed al after his Resurrection ascention to the Apostles and recorded in their Epistles Especially to and by Paul in the three first chapters to the Ephesians as Calvin conceives and so may be preached according to the measure of grace received by him that is least in the Kingdome or Heaven The fourth passage Repentance is a not saying in thy heart doe this that is this or that commandment of God I gave a discription of repentance whether Theoreticall or Practicall in my answer to the Queries which being come as I verily beleeve to these informers hands before the collecting of these passages First I hope that they doe not looke upon this
Anchorage for the soul Heb. 6.16 But all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 And thence as there needeth not so there is not any other sure and stedfast ground of our future enjoying the things promised but the present indwelling of Christ in the heart by faith 2. As other foundation or ground of hope can no man lay than that is laid which is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 So the very attempting to lay another ground is both an overturning of the Faith and a turning back unto the Law of Moses It being not the title and interest to the Kingdom or the Ius ad rem But the possession of the Kingdom or the Ius in Re that was promised in the law and to be hoped for by the Iewes in case they could observe it 3. Let works be made the condition upon which as some assert Christians must necessarily ground their hope of Glory and there will be no ground of hope left for such as walk in darkness and have no light Isa. 50.10 or that cannot by a reflexe Act discern themselves actually performing such and such conditions The conditional promises as a learned writer observeth being made rather to the Acts than Habits And least we as well as they should leave such poor souls comfortless consider First The admonition of the seven brethren in the forecited Epistle Scilicet there is a sturdy stoutness and unyieldingness of spirit in men against the blessed truths of the Gospel made known unto them they must have peace comfort and assurance their own way or else they reject all They would find a principle of life and power within themselves and not go to Christ for it they would bring something to Christ and not fetch all from Christ not knowing that the way which all believers have gone after much wearying of themselves to find some thing in themselves hath been at last to rowle themselves wholly upon the free grace of God through Jesus Christ seeing nothing in themselves yet giving glory to God by believing And if they could bring their hearts so disposed and qualified yet they see the danger of resting in what they are have and do And if want of such and such conditions and qualifications had ground enough to keep them from Christ it might have hindred any that ever did cast themselves upon the free grace of God because they would still have been at a losse finding a defect in them 2. That he that is born of God may have the seed remaining in him that he cannot sin and yet not always be able to bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse at least not always see himself so bringing forth for that the being of grace in doth not necessarily infer the seeing of grace by a christian That which we look upon as Luz may be Bethel the Lord in that place and yet Iacob knew it not Gen 28.16 The promise made good and applied to the soule and yet the soul not make good the condition nor apply it self unto the promise God be with us according to his word Heb. 6.13 and yet we as to our apprehensions at a distance from God Psal. 77.3 10.2 The Scriptures hold it forth as a firme qualication for a believer to see himselfe unqualified {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Poor or beggerly in spirit Mat. 5.3 and that then a man is in the fittest condition for the Kingdom of heaven to come to him when he sees himself able to perform no conditions whereupon he may ground his coming into the heavenly Kingdom {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The poor are Gospellized Luke 7.22 the rich need not they can Gospellize unto themselves both fetch down a promise suitable to that condition they have performed and form a faith ad libitum out of that condition sutable to the promise 4. Though they be promises made to such and such conditions and such Christians as have them while they can certainly say and see they have them may ground their hopes though neither infallibly nor ultimately thereupon yet are there absolute promises or rather declarations of everlasting love through Iesus Christ to poor wretched creatures that can say nothing for but all against themselves Scilicet that they are ungodly and the chief of sinners 2 Tim. 2.25 And God by these without those is able both to beget and increase faith in the heart of a sinner and keep him by his mighty power alone through faith in that word unto salvation He through the Spirit waiting continually for the hope of righteousnesse by faith Gal. 5.5 For 5. Though saith receive much refreshment and encouragement from sence yet it receiveth life and nourishment only from the word Rom 10.17 2 Pet. 2.2 Abraham the Father of the faithful may part with Isaac the only sensible ground he had of the accomplishment of the promise and yet his faith not be thereby destroyed but proved to be a true working faith indeed And Christians may loose the light of all their works and yet not loose the life of faith nor ground of hope but come experimentally to know the true difference betwixt faith and works what it is to believe on him who justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 and to be justified by faith without the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 O woman great is thy faith saith Christ to her that believed and yet saw and confessed her self to be a dog Mat. 13.27 28. And as that saith Mr. Burges is the best manifestation of love when it is carried out to an enemy So is that faith when relying upon God though feeling terrors and hell within us See Burgesse justificat Lect. 14. Sect. 8. pag. 117. Citing and approving of Luthers two-fold pardon the first of meer faith and obtaineth much of God the latter of experience and takes off from the excellency of faith RIghteousnesse or good works are profitable to me and other Christians 1. As subservient subsequent Testimonies of our adoption in Iesus Christ For there is assurance in a believing soule successively or conjunctly as pleaseth God to order either primary which is the result of a direct act of the holy Spirit or secundary which is the result of a reflexe act of an inlightened understanding The first cometh like faith not by seeing but by hearing and the active instrument if we may call it an instrument by which the holy Ghost gives conveyes or begets it is by his own voyce testimony or word And the Passive instrument through which as the Conduit it is conveyed into the heart or inwards of a Christian is believing the Gospel or word of reconciliation as it is evident from Rom. 8.16 Eph 1.13 1 Iohn 5.10 Heb. 10.22 The second is collected from sence or a visible discerning the effects and fruits of the Spirit of Christ in and flowing from a believing heart and is more properly called Scientia
of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God If any say that a man may antecedently will regeneration or conversion by antecedaneous works of grace though not of nature I answer first It is said that God worketh in us to will Phil. 2.13 And to will is present with us who are born of God Rom 7.18 but never that he worketh it in them that are unborn So that secondly To will conversion is not a work of grace antecedent but subsequent thereunto and argues the Infant born and alive though yet it cannot tell so much but only cries thirsts and hungers for in this very willing there is a turning towards God and then undoubtedly a believing on the Lord Iesus And he that believeth is born of God 1 Iohn 5.1 Thirdly Christ puts not the except of entring into the Kingdom upon mans doings but upon Gods he sayes not except a man beget bear or convert himself but except a man be begotten born again or as some read it from above and be converted He cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat 18.3 Vbi manebit liberum arbitrium ubi facere quod in se est cum hic fieri nos doceamur non facere non nos operemar sed Deus operetur facturae non factores sumus funditus scilicet ruit omnis Theologia superborum Thirdly Man neither is nor should be active in reference to the effecting either Faith or Repentance for if so either as an agent in the producing of them or as an agent in the using of means to procure the producing of them from and by God not in the former sense for first faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 It is given to you on the behalfe of Christ to believe Phil. 1.19 This is the work of God Iohn 6.29 Him hath God exalted to give Repentance unto Israel and Remission of sins Acts 5.30 Secondly Mr. Shepherd Mr. Baxter and before them Camero and Ferrius maintain that God doth not infuse a habit of Faith and Repentance whereby men are enabled antecedently by an inherent habitual grace to produce the acts of believing and repentance but doth himself say they first produce the first acts and then infuseth habits whereby men are enabled to act afterwards And if we should say with Mr. Kendal that faith is in us as the adjunct and hath to God only the relation of an effect that it denominates him alone the Authour of our believing though us the Believers because the subjects As the Boul only is said to runne and yet it is the man that is the cause of the motion I see little that Mr. Baxter is pleased or that others can say against it and not in the latter For first God hath appointed means to be used by the living through which he hath promised to beget faith in all the elect though for the present dead Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel Mar. 16.15 but of means appointed of God for the dead to use thereby to get faith or to procure the raising of themselves from and by God we read not If any say that prayer is a means then first If by prayer be meant the intercession of Christ it is granted for it is his intercession alone that procureth the actual collation of all those blessings purchased by himself in the flesh promised in the new Covenant by the Father and conveyed to us by the Spirit But if by prayer be meant any petitioning of ours then is prayer not a means to but a consequent of faith for first How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10.14 The interrogation is equivalent to a strong negation viz. they cannot Secondly Christ taught his Disciples to pray in faith not before nor for faith Mat. 21.22 unlesse by faith be meant the increase thereof and then we pray Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 I believe Lord help my unbeliefe Mar. 9.24 Thirdly he called them to leave all and follow him before they asked him any such a thing You have not chosen me but I have chosen you John 15.16 and after he had called them he prescribeth them a form of prayer or teacheth them to pray after this manner saying Our Father which art in heaven c. Mat. 6.9 Luke 11.1 2. And is it now agreeable to that form or letter to teach men to preferre the petitions before they can say the Preface or to enjoyn them to pray thy Kingdome come before they can cry Abba or Our Father These men I fear would teach their Scholars all the Alphabet of Christianity before Christs Crosse all the petitions before the Preface and it is doubtful then that as some coppies do they will leave out the conclusion also and the observation of all the Commandments before that which stands in the front Scilicet I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt Secondly God hath made no promise to an impenitent unbelieving man while such that upon condition of using such and such means or performing such and such duties he will bestow upon him either of those where it is said either implicitly or expressely if thou wilt do thus and thus I will give thee faith or I will give thee repentance And how any doing or dutying of man should be called means of getting any thing from God unlesse in a moral consideration and way of causation as conditions to some promise I have not yet learned from those Masters that stile one another the Orthodox Divines Thirdly though many enquired of the Apostles What they should do to be saved yet did never any ask what they should do to get Faith Repentance Conversion Regeneration or to get Christ into Christ nor did the Apostles leave any Directions or Rules to be observed by such Querists in future times but brought the word nigh unto them into their mouthes and into their hearts even the word of faith which we preach and tells them that faith comes by hearing and that hearing is not an Antecedent act of their own but that that also cometh by the word of God Rom. 10.8.17 The legal resolving of these Queries and the teaching of Nicodemus Disciples how to beget themselves the second time by entring into their own fleshly wombes is left to the Grand Casuists of these our dayes who can direct their followers how to beget that which is spirit of that which is flesh and how to get the fruits of the Spirit by doing the works of the Law can either ascend to heaven or go beyond the Sea to fetch such commandments as were neither given by Moses nor Christ that their Disciples may hear and do them and have their reward Fourthly Luther and other sensible believing men assert that Non nobis cogitantibus sapientibus volentibus oritur in nobis fides Christi sed incomprehensibili occulto opere spiritus