Spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony heart out of you and I will give you an heart of flesh that flesh of Christ of which we spake before and will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my commandements and do them Luk. 1.72 73 74 75. To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to our Father Abraham that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life With which agrees that which follows 2 Pet. 11.4 whereby exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us that by them we should be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust In both which places we may take notice that there are but two grand benefits promised in Christ the first in order of time and nature is deliverance from our spiritual enemies or our escaping out of corruption and the second is a partaking of the divine nature whereby we may serve God cheerfully and without fear in holiness and righteousness all our dayes Here is no mention made in these promises of the remission of sins either because it is an appendant to the first benefit God taking away the guilt with the corruption and fault or because the Lord counts it so inconsiderable a benefit in comparison of the other two that he makes no mention of it but casts it in over and above as Christ speaks Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you The fourth Topick shall be That this full obedience through the grace and help of God is made the condition to the greatest part of Gods promises and his spiritual blessings in special Exod. 19.5 6. Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine c. And Exod. 23.20 21 22. Behold I send an Angel before thee the Angel of the covenant to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name or being is in him But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy to thine enemy and an adversary to thine adversaries See Levit. 26.13 all manner of blessings are promised upon this score Deut. 11.8.9 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandements that I command you this day that ye may be strong and go in and possesse the land whether ye go in to possesse it and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which the Lord sware unto your Fathers to give unto them a land flowing with milk and hony which land is a type of the heavenly Canaan Deut. 28.1 15. And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God to serve him and to do all his commandements which I command thee this day that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God blessed shalt thou be in the city c. Joshua 1.7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest Isaiah 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Ezek. 33.15 If the wicked restore the pledg give again that which he robbed walk in the statutes of life he shall surely live he shall not die Matth. 5.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the kingdome of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Chap. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Chap. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world Luk. 10.25 26 27. And behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life he said unto him what is written in the law how readest thou and he answered and said thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live See John 15.10 If ye keep my commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Heb. 10.36 For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Rev. 21.14 Blessed are they that do his commandement that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city The fifth Topick shall be The end of Christs coming to fulfill the law in us according to Gods covenant aforesaid Psal 22.30 31. A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation he shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this to wit wrought that righteousness in them Isaiah 53.10 He shall sow his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand See chap. 61.1 2 3. before cited Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth in men in his dayes Judah shall be saved from their enemies and Israel shall dwel safely And this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness to wit that righteousness which he executeth and worketh in his Saints Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesie and to anoint the most holy by bringing in the everlasting righteousness aforesaid Matth.
been disturbed and disquieted in their former opinions and purity by reason of the audaciousnesse and impudency of the opposers of his tenents we say it that we were are and we hope shall be bold in the cause of God against sin and Satan and the upholders of his kingdom but we were never so audacious and impudent as himself who in Suffolk changed his name and called himself Doctor Kendall of Pembrook-Hall How beit we will use his pretended motives for our reall incentives who saith and that truly therein that because many of the people are not able to buy volumes nor by reason of the weaknesse of their capacities and small growth in grace are able so readily to apprehend the clearnesse and perspicuity of the truth upon the hearing of them nor yet clearly to distinguish betwixt them and falshood vailed under truths svizard we have therefore for their satisfaction and the edification of all men as also for the confirmation of the truth presented unto publick view some few collections which being seriously weighed considered and digested may by the blessing of God enable the weakest if willing to discover truth from falshood Amen Now whereas he adds he is willing both to spend which is true of his own money and other mens also and to be spent for the Israel of God It is a grosse peece of hypocrisie for it is their way that he opposeth Psal 73.1 Surely God is good to Israel even to them that are of a clean heart And yet he saith it being the end for which we are what we are that is if he speaks of himself his way and practise a very Gusmond Finally he tels his Readers that they are upon the Stage Which is true of the Theatre of this world where we hope they will act Israels part better then he hath hitherto done and we will with him wish them to fight the good fight of faith which is not for sin or Satan as his Vindication tels us but for Christ against both and then we may as truly as he doth deceitfully assure them you and all the Israel of God that the victory shall be glorious more glorious then his hath been hitherto or is likely to be hereafter without a sudden and earnest repentance through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be glory for ever Amen And now we crave leave to speak a word or two to those that have abetted the Vindicator or do any way favour his doctrine and therein to advertise them of these things in the name and bowels of Christ First that this doctrine is not the Protestants doctrine though it may be called a Protestant doctrine for there are many distinct Churches all whose faith and doctrine are called Protestant because in many things they protest against the Church of Rome of which the Calvinistical is the worst and most erroneous the Lutherans is the next and in some things more orthodox then the former And the third is the ancient English reformed Protestant which is far the best of all the three for our Reformers desired to tread in the footsteps of Antiquity according to their best sight and comprehension which the other and especially the Calvinists were carelesse to do and in many things refractory thereagainst and though we in the point of original sin may seem to differ from our English Church which received that by tradition from many of the Fathers yet when occasion shall serve we shall make it manifest that we have not only divine authority for that and other things also wherein we seem to some to be out of the common road but we have the first Fathers of the Church and the first reformers as well as many of the latter on our side and what dishonour will it bring to God or disconsolation to parents whose children die in infancy that we affirm that all children are now born without original taint or guilt or why should an allegoricall speech Rom. 5. of our naturall and personall Adam or an hyperbolical speech of David Psal 51. so far impose upon us though not rightly looked into by some others in many ages as openly to contradict many other Scriptures vindicating Gods mercy and justice Secondly that this doctrine of the Vindicators which we oppose is bottomlesse like the place from whence it came that is it hath no foundation in the Scripture whereas we have brought some hundreds of Texts and might have brought more to clear up the truth and piety of our tenents for we dare challenge all the Calvinists in the world to prove any of these assertions upon which the contrary doctrine is built by clear Texts of Scripture First that we shall not be perfected in grace till the day of Iudgment so as to be presented without spot or wrinkle or any such thing whereas we have remonstrated two things to the contrary first that many places which our adversaries understand of that day speak clearly of Christs second coming to us in the Spirit and inner-man and secondly that we must be made holy and without blemish not in that day but before it and in order unto it Phil. 1.6 10 11. 1 Thess 5.32 1 Tim. 6.12 13 14 15. 2 Pet. 3.14 and secondly that we shall not be perfected in grace or the righteousnesse of sanctification untill we come into Heaven or the full kingdome of God for we have shewed that justification which is all one with sanctification must of necessity go before glorification Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. and so must full obedience and doing of Gods will if the Lord affords time and means be fore the enjoyment of the promises 2 Cor. 5.10 ' then we must receive the things done in our bodies that is a time not of sowing but of reaping reward Gal. 6.9 to wit of life and glory Heb. 10.36 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Thirdly they say that sin shall be mortified and abolished by corporal death and not by the spirit of grace only contrary to Rom. 8.13 but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live and Rom. 12.21 be not overcome of the evil but overcome the evil with the good See 1 Joh. 1.7 9. and chap. 14. and 5.3.4 Rev. 7.14 and 12.10 11. Fourthly they say that the Spirit of God will abolish the remainders of sin in the hour of the corporal death and not before contrary to the import of innumerable Scriptures Psal 31.15 My times are in thine hand deliver me from the hands of mine enemies and 39.13 ' O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen and 41.5 Mine enemies speak evil of me when shall he die and his name perish and vers 10 11. But thou O Lord be merciful unto me raise me up that I may requite them by this I know thou favourest me because mine enemies do not triumph over me and 54.4 5. Behold God is my helper the Lord is with them that uphold my soul he
one should not be eased and another burdened but that there should be equality 2 Cor. 8.13 Now if the young man had then gone and sold all he had as Christ did bid him and given it to the poor he had indeed eased them but burdened himself in leaving himself nothing of his vast estate for it is said he had great possessions and so he had made himself a burden to others Again it is not certain there were so many poor at that time among the Jews and they medled with the Gentiles in that case its probable no more then the Samaritans did with the Jewes in divers cases John 4.9 Thirdly Christ doth not bid him sell it and have it in common to communicate it as they did Acts 4.32 with others if it had been so there might have been some argument from it to incline him to obey Chrsts advise because then he might have had as good share being before his own as others had in like need but Christ bids him go and sell all he had and so fulfil the Proverb make himself as poor as Job without giving him any comfort in reference to his estate by telling him that he might have part of it himself with the poor but go sell all and give to the poor saith Christ unto him Fourthly Paul telleth Ananias Acts 5.1 2 3. that his estate was his own and that he was left free to do as he pleased he was not bound by any requiring to sell all his estate and bring it to be distributed but Peter reproveth him for his hypocritical dissimulation onely in keeping back part of his estate under hand contrary to his outward pretence hence à pari it is not likely or probable from what Christ said to him that Christ required him to go and sell all his temporal estate and give it to the poor for Ananias is not by Peter told that he was required to sell all that he had and to give it to the poor but Peter saith to him whiles it remained was it not thine own and after when it was sold was it not in thy own power c. 5. Reas Because Christ telleth him that he should be perfect ipso facto upon the supposition of his foregoing universal obedience which he professed he had performed yet Paul saith 1 Cor. 13.12 If Ishould give my body to be burned and my goode to the poor I should profit my felf nothing if I have not love therefore Christ could not intend to bid the man sell his temporal estate that ipso facto he might be perfect because that fact in it self would not have made him perfect according to Pauls restimony aforesaid 6. Reas Because Christ had no occasion given him to discourse of temporal estates therefore Christ did not bid him fell all his temporal estate and riches but his own false spiritual riches which was his high conceit of himself for after Christ had declared the happy estate of Children Mat. 19.13 14. then cometh this Querent St. Luk styleth him a ruler cap. 18.18 to know what he must do and telleth Christ what he had done in order to Christs directions vers 28. and would know what he had more to do Christ telleth him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sell all thy own which remaineth or sell all things remaining that are thine now the self-chosen righteousnesse and such like stuffe are the mans own for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof 1 Cor. 10.26 therefore that is not the mans but Gods that he may command when he pleaseth may be no impediment to eternal life unto them that do injoy a great measure of it Hence you see the occasion given to Christ from the Querie of the man and his reply from whence no doubt our Saviour took opportunity to give him the advise aforesaid Read also the other Evangelists Mar. 10.17 to ver 23. Luk. 18.18 19 20 to 23. ver 10 25 26. Mat. 22.34 35. and it may easily be perceived how apt these sort of men are to justifie themselvs when that which is high in men is oft abomination to God so we may see how Laodicea was lifted up with this sort of spiritual false riches Revel 3.10 as is apparent by the Lords counsell to that Church what to do in that case And Paul upbraideth the Corinthians that they were rich and ful and wanted nothing and reigned as Kings c. 1 Cor. 4.8 9. yet not in truth as those Kings spoken of Revel 1.11 but onely in their own high conceivings because the said Church of Corinth was not so rich in temporals at that time Secondly it appeareth that they looked on themselves as rich in high conceivings by Pauls expressions in reference to them ver 6 7. Thirdly because he wisheth they did reign that the Apostles might reign with them Hence it is easie by comparing the foresaid testimonies with the words and deportment of this man to understand that it was spiritual false riches of selfe-chosen righteousnesse that were his great possessions which our Saviour biddeth him to sell and part with that he might be perfect and complete having done what he said and so by his righteousnesse which Christ would have him shew forth he might have treasure in Heaven for Prov. 22.4 it said By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life and Math. 18.4 Christ saith Whoever shall humble himselfe as a little child the same is great in the kingdom of God We summ up all in this Syllogisticall demonstration Those riches which Christ had onely an occasion to take notice of to be the mans possessions the same in reason we ought to believe Christ did intend when he bid the man sâ—ll all he had c. But they were his spiritual false riches of his chosen holinesse andhigh-conceitednesse that Christ had occasion given him from the man and others of his like mind to take notice of Therefore those riches were the riches which he counsels him to sell The major cannot be denied and we hope the Assumption is proved by former instances If it be said it was his temporal estate because hewent away sorrowful We answer that it will not follow necessarily thereupon because those who are rich in false spiritual wisedom and holiness Luk 18.11 are as unwilling yea more to part with their possessions as theformer and therefore our Saviour telleth them that Publicans and adulterers should enter into Heaven before them Mat. 21.31 And the reason is because it is easier to convince the Publicans and Harlots having no excuse then to convince these as appeareth Job 9.34 40. and 7.48 49. If it be yet further urged that Christ meant as aforesaid because he bid him give them to the poor We answer though Christ did bid him do so yet its Ignoratio elenchi to conclude thence that Christ meant the mans temporall possessions because
following are false and his are his old picklocks for first he saith though the Saints do grow up under the word and Sacraments yet it is not to the attainment of an exact obedience in this life to be without sin in this life and to have grace consummate but they grow and edifie one another in love But we speak not here what the Saints do actually but what they may and ought to do nor of their mutual edification of each other but of the words design and abilitie to build them up to the top or the finishing of the edifice for a skilful and a faithful builder gives not over till the structure is finished Secondly he saith that the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ is attained onely in glory Which in his sense is false for here we may have a perfection of degrees as well as of parts to wit the perfection of sanctification or grace which we call the perfection of the way as we have often proved before whatsoever he saith to the contrary In the ninth place he brings in two or three Scriptures together out of Doctor Draytons sermon upon one and the same head as he might have found more of the same kind there They are these that the Apostle prayes for the perfecting of the Saints Heb. 13.20 2 Cor. 13.9 1 Pet. 5.10 and surely they prayed for things feasible and attainable nor can the prayer of Christ for the same be in vain John 17.25 I in them and they in me that they might be made perfect in one Unto which page 47 he gives in the old lying and sinful distinction for an answer namely That the Apostles prayed for the perfecting of the Saints and so did our blessed Saviour and they obtained what they prayed for that is to say to have them sincere in this life and to have grace consummate in the state of glory But we have proved that the sincerity which Paul prayed for in the behalfe of the Saints was a state devoid of sin and to be had before and in order unto the kingdome of glory Phil. 1.10 11. That ye may approve the things that are excellent and that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ and that ye may be filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be reserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ But he brings in two replies of ours by way of Anticipation likewise the first of which is this is sin pardoned and mortified and doth it yet remain Which he answers with his old crambe centies posita It is so pardoned as not to be imputed it s so mortified that the power and dominion of it is taken away yet it remaineth to be more and more mortified and wholly cast out at the death of the body and death shall be destroyed at the general resurrection and so it is the last enemie that shall be destroyed But though he and others have often and confidently affirmed that sin shall be cast out at the death of the body they could never bring one Text of Scripture for this article of their belief nor should they be able to do it though they live to the age of Methushelah whose name and life is a dart of death against sin and their position Then he brings in our second reply which as he saith is this When must sin be purged out if not in this life must we carry the remainders of sin into the kingdome of heaven whereinto no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 21.27 To which he gives us his old thred-bare and beggarly we had almost said and lowsie answer that men shall not carry the remainder of sin into Gods kingdome with them but they shall lay it down at the death of the body Then there is hope that none shall go to hell for corruption or thereby be debarred from heaven there is hope also that the Vindicator may then lay down his lying and his other lewd prrctises against God and man at that day The thief saith he onely converted shall be that day in paradise Therefore he may safely continue in his sin till the hour of death But what if that thief had repented long before even from his first apprehension or perhaps from the committing of the fact for this is possible and the Scripture hath nothing to the contrary Yea what if he belived on Christ afore having heard of or seen his miracles though he had not the opportunity to confess him till now nor to pray unto him face to face nor doth he understand what paradise this was into which Christ and he entred for the first paradise is a submission unto Gods will even under the punishing hand of God and the last is the third heaven unto which Paul was caught by way of vision 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. And as for Rev. 21.27 he saith it is confessed by our own fraternity to be the state of the Saints in patria It s true all the reformed Churches and that of England whose first reformation might have been a pattern to all the rest doe almost generally conceive that the new Jerusalem or heavenly City of God spoken of Rev. 21 22. chap. is the state of the Saints in patria and so do the Papists also for the greatest part which of those then must be our fraternity But there are some of both Religions that hold the new Jerusalem to be an estate attainable in this life because John saw it descending down from heaven unto men as a tabernacle of God wherein they were to worship him and he heard a loud voice following and saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21.1 2 3. But herein all doe agree that men must cease to be of Mr. Tondrings fraternity before they can enter into this state for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21.27 Then he concludeth with the like confidence as he begun And thus have I briefly proved unto you the truth of the point which yet hath not one point of truth in it That sin will have a being in the best of men while their souls have a being in these houses of clay And this I hope saith he may be sufficient to satisfie the people Yea and perhaps some of the Priests also who are very easily perswaded to sleep still in sin and loth to be put upon an hard encounter against the Canaanites for such are apt to believe the unbelieving spies and much more the Scout-master-generall who like his Master doth go to and fro compassing the earth and walking up and down in it And if saith he I shall meet with any
shall reward evill to mine enemies cut them off in thy truth and 59.13 Consume them in thy wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Iacob to the ends of the earth and 71.24 My toung shall talkof thy righteousnesse all the day long for they are confounded for they are brought to shame that seek my hurt and 101.8 I wil early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord which is every Saint Jerem. 4.14 Wash thine heart O Jerusalem that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodg in thee Psal 112.8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies and 139.23 24. Search me O my God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting and 143.9 10. Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I fly to thee to hide me with thee teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit it is good lead me unto the Land of uprightnesse and of thy mercy cut off all mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work knowledg wisedome or device in the grave whether thou goest and Luk 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the days of our life Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousnesse and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind that he which is dead hath ceased from sin that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh after the lusts of men but after the will of God Fifthly that when we were first converted sin had his death-wound contrary to Rom. 7.14 24. and 8.13 Gal. 5.17 Heb. 3.13 14. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and 6.4 5 6. and 10.26 27 28 29 30. and 12.15 Looking diligently lest any fall from the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 2 Pet. 2.1.20 21. Jude 4. c. for no sin hath its deadly wound till it be by the patience and Spirit of Christ wholly overcome and lest Rev. 2.16 and 3.10 Sixthly That all the guilt of sin and punishment is taken away though the pollution and corruption remains contrary to Prov. 28.13 Jer. 33.8 Acts. 26.18 this is to take away the effect and leave the cause in force and being hence it is that Hieronymus saith on 1 Cor. 6. Be not deceived thinking that faith alone sufficeth for every sin that remaineth excludeth men from the kingdome of Heaven as the Apostle speaks Gal. 5. how the works of the flesh are hurtfull which are these adultery fornication uncleannesse c. of which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven But also saith he they pray sinfully who persevere in sin and desire that those sins of theirs should be pardoned or put away by the Lord which they themselves have not put away from them Seventhly they say that there is not any other active obedience or righteousnesse of Christ to be attained by faith then that which Christ works in his Saints for its contrary to Isai 45.24 25. and 48.18 and 53.11 and 59.17 and 61.3 10 11. and 62.1 2. Jerem. 23.5 6. and 31.31 32 33. and Rom. 4.11 and 5.7 18 19. and 8.4 Phil. 3.9 10. Eighthly that we are perfect in this life and complete by justification though not by sanctification where 's they are both one thing as hath been proved at large and while the one is imperfect the other is also Ninthly that justification lies in remission of sins or taking away the guilt of the same yet leaving the sin or pollution behind whereas justification taken in a liberative way is a purging and washing away of the fault and corruption in the first place as hath been proved out of Acts 13.20 and 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. Thirdly consider that the kingdome of God which Christ and his Apostles preached is not onely an inward kingdome Luk. 17.21 as it is a kingdome both of grace Rom. 14.17 and of glory also Rom. 8.19 Ephes 1.18 but consequently that there is an internal heaven of holiness and glory to be had and obtained by the Saints in this life Heb. 10.34 knowing that ye have in your selves a better and more induring substance in the heavens for so the words are in the Greek Text. As Paul also speaks of himself and fellow-Apostles whom God hath raised up and set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. this is that kingdome which Christ taught his Disciple to pray for saying ' thy kingdome come and which he and John Baptist published 'to be at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 and which ' John saw coming down from God out of heaven Rev. 21.23 before whose coming all sin must be purged away for ' no unclean thing can enter into it Rev. 21.27 yea all the spiriteal effects of sin as the second day sorrow crying and tears shall be removed Rev. 21.4 Fourthly that they which know not own not nor witness this kingdome of God with the way and means thereunto were never sent of God to preach the true Gospel of the kingdome but do publish their own imaginations and traditions of men as the Vindicator and many of far greater note then he both living and dead both do and have done Fithly that they who do not believe that he God will avenge his elect who cry unto him night and day for vengeance against their spiritual enemies for the rooting of all out Luk. 18.1 7. have not the faith of Gods elect as hath been said before Sixthly we shall leave it to your serious consideration whether it be not the voice of the unbelievers and not of the Saints of whom it is said concerning the beast of sin which came out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns saying Rev. 13.4 and they worshiped the dragon who gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Which interpretation concerning the beast of sin is not ours but
receive those two gifts of justification and regeneration by the death of Christ for though remission of sins is purchased thereby for the true beleevers yet that is neither regeneration nor justification in the Apostles sense nor is justification purchased thereby for he that made us had power to regenerate without any such purchase That therefore it follows that out of the first Adam to wit our first parent there issued a double evil unto and upon us to wit guilt and corruption we deny as false and inconsequent That in this derivative the sin which he speaks of is an universal corruption is false likewise in which are two great evils as he saith Sed sublato sub ecto tollitur ad unctum Pag. 5. That in it first there is a general defect of all righteousnesse in which we were at first created to wit in our first patents First it is manifestly false as also that any such defect is derived unto us who are still created righteous and holy and after the image of God as these ensuing Texts doe clearely prove besides many more that might be added Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God created he man to wit him that is so killed or else the argument is of no force Jam. 3.9 Therewith to wit with the tongue bless we God and therewith curse we man who is created after the similitude of God Ecclesiast 7.29 Lo this have I found that God made man righteous but they have sought out many inventions Jer. 2.21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a wild vine unto me That this pretended derivative sin to be so conveyed from the first Adam to us is an inherent deordination evil disposition disease propension to all mischief and antipathy and aversation to all good which the Scripture calls the flesh the wisdome of the flesh the body of sin earthly members the works of the Devil the Hell that sets the whole course of nature on fire Jam. 3.5 6. Rom. 8.6 7. Jam. 3.15 Eph. 4.22 Col. 3.5 Rom. 7.23 1 John 3.8 Unto which I say that although all those names are justly given to the body of sin especially when it is fully formed in men with all his members yet first there is no such thing found in children of whom our Saviour saith that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such and that unlesse we be born again after our fall and corruption and become like them in humility righteousnesse love and meeknesse we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Matth. 18.3 Mar. 10.14 15. Doth not Paul also give us this charge 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be ye not children in understanding howbeit in malice or naughtiness be children where he implyeth that children have no malice or naughtinesse in them and if sin be the workmanship of the Devil as he out of 1 John 3.8 confesseth I would demand whether the Devil had an hand in the creation of children which he must if this sin be his workmanship But that which follows there that no man can be more sensible of the through-malignity of this derivative corruption then Paul was when he cryed out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Is first the old mistake and afterwards backed with this errour and peice of nonsense untill his understanding was opened to conceive the spiritualness penetration and compass of the holy Law which measures the very bottome of every action for Paul could not be so sensible of his sins malignity till his understanding was so opened nor till he had been scourged also for it by the work of the Law as all men are whom God brings to be and maketh his sons Psal 94.12 Heb. 12. That the Law condemns as well the original as the Acts of sin is true of prohibition but not of condemnation for each sinful motion is by the Law discovered and prohibited but we are not condemned for the same till we approve or like of the temptation in some measure Those ensuing positions are also false First that Paul Rom. 5.14 understands by Adam and Moses our first parent and him that was the Lawgiver but two distinct estates in men as was said before which may appear out of the foregoing verse compared with this For untill the Law sin was in the world that is before the inward Moses Lawgiver or reprover cometh unto men but where there is no Law sin is not reputed for sin for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred Secondly because he saith that death reigned from Adum which is the natural man in his first defection till Moses or one that draweth out of the water of sin That the men who sinned between the first Adam's age and the time of Moses did not sin after the similitude of Adams transgression against the clear revelation of Gods holy will as Adam did Yet they did for the same God that did forbid the eating of the forbidden fruit doth ever since prohibit and forbid every sin in every mans soul that is against the moral Law Rom. 2.15 Which shews the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Was not Enoch a Prophet in his time see Jude 1.14 and was not Noah the eight preacher of righteousness as the Apostle calls him 2 Pet. 2.5 were not the men of the old World destroyed for their known wickedness and shut into the infernal prison for their apparent disobedience 1 Pet. 3.19 20. so that the Vindicators misapprehension of this place of mens sinning for want of such light as Adam had is full of darkness As for those over whom death reigned from Adam to Moses and who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression we say that as Adam and Moses are two inward states so may these be inward spiritual messengers of God represented by Abel and others as well as the inward Adam and Moses of which he speaks for such a generation of righteous ones which never sinned we find slain by the wicked and incorrigible generation of men Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah the son of Barachiah for though men usually in reading this and other Scriptures look no further then the letter yet I demand of them how in justice could all the righteous blood shed from the beginning come upon that wicked and unbeleeving generation of the Jews if they had not inwardly slain a spiritual Abel and other messengers of God even to a spiritual Zachariah that is the Lord remembrancer the son of Barachiah that is of the Lords benediction as all his inward messengers are yea it is true which Abraham answered to
3. Luk. 4.18 19 20 yet contrary to this and other promises he saith that we draw the chains of our sins after us which make us move the more slowly But it is the portion of the wicked to be in chains 2 Pet. 2.4 Psal 107.10 11. and to be bound hand and foot Matth. 23.13 There are some that draw iniquity with cords of vanity Esay 5.18 that is with vain excuses and distinctions or ungrounded promises wo to such saith the Prophet Is 5.18 wo c. But these chains saith he are not able to draw us into the bondage that we were in before Yes they have done too many 2 Pet. 2.19 20. That death which is the wages of sin is so changed that it is not the death of the man but the death of the sin in the man What doth this babler say the death that is the wages of sin is the second death in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.9 10. and chap. 20.10 15. Sin is the first death and this is the second how then can this be any thing else but the death of a sinner There is another death indeed that is the death of sin and not of the man which is a suffering out of all temptations and a dying with Christ unto all evil Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints of which see Rom. 6.7 8. Rev. 14.13 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Of this death and not of the corporal death did Chrysostome and Ambrose whom he cites speak or else they were as much mistaken as the Vindicator is in this matter saying there that the death which is brought out by sin he should have said by Christ doth at the last even destroy and consume it in the children of God and that sin will remain though not reign Yes if its will may take place it will reign also and that for ever But he goes on and comments thus upon Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deeds of the body hereby saith he the Apostle shews that after regeneration by grace and before glorification grace is not consummate nor is corruption wholly abolished But with what spectacles did he read this Text when he found these things couchant in it for out of the whole verse he might have learned these saving truths for his better information and reformation also First that God doth suspend his final purpose and promises of our salvation upon Ifs or conditions on our parts to be performed For if ye live after the flesh saith Saint Paul ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit ye shall live Secondly that the remaining corruptions in the Saints such as these Romans were have death and condemnation attending upon them Thirdly that therefore they are not to be wounded only but mortified that is absolutely killed And lastly that this is not to be done by the death of the body but by the power of the Spirit which we are to seek by grace and with which we are to cooperate in this life till the work be done His conclusion then from hence pag. 19. and 20. by the new account is false That as long as we live in the body there is some life of sin remaining which we had need to mortify and put off But not as he doth to put it off til our natural death But he addes Saint Augustine saying that our life here is bellum not triumphus a warfare not a trophee of victory Yet may our warfare have an end here and so to have our triumph and victory follow Esay 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith our God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is ended that her iniquity is pardoned Ephes 6.13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand 2 Tim. 4.6 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness But he contradicts himself in his next speech pag. 20. by the new account saying that in this battel we must fight without intermission untill we have gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort cut off his superfluities that he hath no need of reforming Yes Paul could say it 2 Cor. 5.17 and the holy Apostle John 1 Ep. 4.17 and 5.5 with many thousands more to whom Christ bears witness Rev. 7.14 15 20. and 14.4 5. That when sins and superfluities are unregarded they kindle again That it is true that the same spiritual temptations may return after the former are quenched but at length the Devil is by Christ to be cast out with all his works Rev. 12.10 11. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down who accused them before God day and night Yet he saith further That whosoever he be unless he dissemble he shall find within himself something that had need to be subdued But such a Pigmee in grace as he is if he be under grace must not measure the growth and mortification of Gods faithful and sanctified Saints by his pitch But he brings in some sentences which he fathers upon Ambrose as this velis nolis infra sine tuos habitabit but he saith habitavit Jebusaeus subâ—ugari potest exterminare he should have said exterminari non potest that will thou nill thou the Jesubite will dwel wit hin thy coasts and borders he may be subdued but not rooted out This is true of temptations especially for a time after our first conversion but this conslict if we bestir our selves aright shall have an end here as we have proved of late some Jesubites are our sins and corruptions which must be rooted out again some Jebusites are our native faculties as they are corrupted disordered and poysoned with rebellion These also may be subdued and brought into obedience but neither can be cast out nor ought to be howbeit we have sure promises that all our sins and corruptions shall be subdued if we will sue out the benefit of the same Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue all our iniquities and thou will cast their sins into the depths of the sea Insomuch as that there shall not be one Canaanite left in our soul which is the house and the temple of the Lord So Zech. 14.21 And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts Yet he goes on saying saying That the great deceitfulness of mans heart of which the Lord complaineth Jer. 17.9 saying the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it it is attributed to all men
measure of knowledge is to had if sought for that men shall not need to say know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Jer. 31.32 33. and that the knowledge of the Lord shall abound like as the waters cover the sea Esay 11.9 His second reason is that if grace were consummate in this life there should be no difference between the state of grace and of glory Yea grace may here be consummate in his degree and that in a very high one and yet fall short of that transcendent measure which shall be attained in the life to come What saith Paul Phil. 1.21 for me to live is Christ and to die is gain His third reason is petitio principii all the Saints on earth have sin remaining in them and they that deny it are liars and have no truth in them Yet we do deny that all Saints must while they are upon earth have sin remaining in them and have a greater Divine then Mr. John Tendring to warrant us even the holy Apostle John upon whose testimony which he understands not he ignorantly and confidently relieth See 1 Joh. 4.17 5.4 5. Rev. 7.14 15 17. 14.3 4 5. before often cited Yet we are not such liars as he is notoriously known to be and we hope have more truth in us then he and his book set forth But he adds that all the Fathers against the Novatians and Donatists understand this place Which if it were true as it is not the Novatians may convince them to be Novices not Fathers and the Donatists evict them to be Dotists or Dotards for the Scriptures shew clearly that we must or ought to be such before and for the obtaining of the kingdome of glory 1 Cor. 1.8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 10.11 That ye may be pure and without offence in the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness 1 Thes 5.23 And I pray God that your spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless untill the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless But he saith it is the Church triumphant and not the Church militant that must be found without spot or wrinkle Yet the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. and much more the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. do appear to be such here because Christ himself who searcheth the hearts and reines Rev. 2.23 and who finds fault with five of the aforesaid Churches of Asia and upon occasion rebukes them sharply finds not the least fault with these but commends them highly and that may also be in some sense a triumphant Church who hath upon earth gotten victory over all her enemies and in that behalf triumpheth with Paul Rom. 8.33 39. In the seventh place he brings 2 Tim. 4.7 to be answered by himself where Paul saith I have fought a good fight and finished my course which he fortifieth against himself as if it were not of sufficient strength by it self for him to oppose which Text the Vindicator will not observe nor the other place 1 Cor. 9.27 where Paul saith but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away To both which he answers page 46 as he was wont to do without truth or judgment First that Paul fought a good fight being now ready to be offered up but that conflict was yet to come saith he not so as to obtain exact perfection of grace and to be without all inherent sin of which he complaineth Rom. 7. Yes he was even at that time of his complaint freed from the Law of sin and death as we have often shewed out of Rom. 8.2 and that long before he was to be so offered up He tels us also but we know not to what purpose that Peter was led where he would not But surely it was not into sin John 21.18 Thirdly he saith Paul kept the faith and he who said unto him my grace is sufficient for thee and my power is perfected in weakness enabled him to overcome though he had corruptions remaining in him and the buffetings of Satan But doth the man understand what he saith It is the office of faith to purifie the heart from sin Acts 15.9.1 John 3.2 3. which faith Paul did not onely keep and retain but fought the good fight of faith till the battel was ended and so finished his race and course in that kind in dying to sin yet he justly expected that promised reward of which he speakes Rom. 6.8 2 Tim. 2.11 12. As to the second Text 1 Cor. 9.27 he saith that Paul kept down his body by fasting and prayer to bring it into subjection But was this the body of flesh and blood or the inordinate desires of the sinful flesh He tels us also that Augustine did use fasting prayers and tears to the same end But he did it not in the faith of Christs assistance and the hope of final victory of which it seems he despaired here and James shews that if we would obtain Jam. 1.6 we must him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like the waves of the sea c. In the eighth place he brings a second Scripture of which Doctor Drayton had made use in his sermon and these two are all that he can call his it is taken out of Ephes 4. from verse 10 to 15. And he gave some to be Apostles some prophets some Evangelists some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the work of the ministry and for the edifying the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfest man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Unto this he answereth after the old mode ignorantly and intricately First that the ministry of the word is given not onely to convert men from sin but to perfect men in holiness Then it must either effect that for which God hath designed it or else the Lord was mistaken in chusing and using too weak instruments But he adds yet so as the same Paul speaks Acts 20.32 Which is able to build you up that is to edifie and build the Saints more and more Where first he understands not that word of Gods grace which Paul speaks of there for it is the essential word which is almighty not onely able to build us up to perfection but afterwards to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly he contradicts himself because this is able to build us up to the uttermost in the way of sanctification that we may be fittted for that inheritance Thirdly that fitting must also go before in this life therefore the two things
curse and secondly supernatural grace to reform deformed nature and thirdly saith he but this last coincident with the former though it shews us the way of life yet it ministers no grace to walk therein nor doth his Gospel minister sufficient grace for that purpose But to make us some amends he comforts us with lies saying but all that which the Law could not do Jesus Christ by whom cometh grace and life hath done unto us But hath Christ already performed for us and in us perfect obedience to the Law and to that end fully reformed and renewed our deformed natures These two saith he cannot be done till we be perfected in glory Then he concludes for his second position or the first part of it rather but out of his false premises therefore there is no life to be found in the observance of the Law Unto which we have often replied upon undeniable grounds that there is no life to be found but in the observation or Gods Law through Christ Jesus Again he ress us that the Apostle in another place cals the Law the ministry of death and condemnation because it instantly binds men under death for every transgression of her commandements It is true the work of the Law by the help of the word doth give such a condemnatory sentence but elsewhere the Law is called the perfect Law of liberty as James 1.25 yea and our life also Deut. 32.46 47. ye shall command your children to oâ—serve to do all the words of this Law for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your life to wit when performed by the grace of Christ But mark his inference from hence so that he which hath eyes to see what an universal rebellion of nature there is in man to Gods holy Law yea what imperfections and discordance with the Law are still remaining in them who are renewed by grace to wit after John Tendring's model may easily see the blind presumption of those who seek life in the ministry of death But we know none that do so more frequently then such loose Gospellers as he who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness And sure we are that the Jews who seek life in the observation of Gods Law for the most part are more obedient to God and consequently nearer to Gods kingdome though yet they own not Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Christ then any such libertines as he is who own Christ in words but in life and deeds deny him whose sentence he may find recorded before hand by way of premonition Matth. 7.21 22 23. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and then will I profess unto them I never knew them depart from me ye workers of iniquity The Jews are called natural branches because they avoid known sins to the uttermost of their power and follow after righteousness with all their strength but such as take liberty to the contrary are still branches of the wild olive Rom. 11. yea these last though they have Christ often in their mouths are further from the love of Christ who hath no communion with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 then the former and it is the wicked lives of those that call themselves the Disciples and followers of Jesus that hath kept both Jews and Turks and many others from embracing the holy way of true Christianity Yet saith he so universall is this error of seeking life and salvation by their own deeds that it hath over-run the whole posterity of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminated by Christ to stand to the covenant of works But those who are rightly illuminated by Christ Grace teacheth to seek salvation in the works and observation of the Law yet not out of their own strength and endeavours alone but by the grace and help of Christ which grace John Tendrings vindication curtaileth But the supernatural doctrine saith he of the Evangelist page 53. teacheth us to transcend nature to goe out of our selves and to seek salvation in the Lord Jesus All this is true if rightly understood but so is not that which follows and so to use the Law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a Schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ in whom we have remission of our sins so that which is to be had in the last place he puts it in the first sanctification of our nature acceptance of our imperfect obedience what always when it should for times and means afforded be made perfect benefits which the Law could never afford us Thus saith he ye see it is impossible in our own persons but what if Christ be brought in hither to purge us and renew us fully to fulfill the Law of God no such grace saith he being given from above Oh the bold blasphemy of man against the renor of the old and new Testament Deut. 26.18 19. and 30.6 Jerem. 31.32 33. Rom. 8.4 and 10.4 Or if we could saith he yet it is not possible for the Law to save us but he confesseth that it is not through any defect or imperfection in the Law for the Law is just and holy and good Rom. 7.12 but in regard of the corruption of nature which Christ came purposely to abolish 1 Joh 3.8 yea I say quoth he that although the Law be good yet it is not good to that end neither is it ordained of God for that end Yes at first it was and still is in force yet he confesseth that the Law was given for a double end first in common to all men namely to discover sin Rom. 3.10 and the wrath of God due to us for sin and to restrain all men by its rule and discipline from sin and to retain them in a civil course of morality for the good of humane society And secondly in speciall first to the reprobate to make them without excuse because it teacheth them what shall be done or left undone But all have not the outward Law it is therefore the inward Law that doth this and especially because there is grace also afforded likewise to help us in the doing of the good required and the resisting of the evil forbidden Secondly he saith page 54. in respect of the elect to incite us by the sight of our sins to seek out a Saviour as he that informs us of some dangerous disease doth tacitly advise us to seek out some expert physician which is not John Tendring but the Law was never intended that it should justifie us or of it selfe bring us to eternal life Yes it was so at the first But he brings divers arguments to prove that which we deny not as he is very profuse and prodigal in his proof of such things For he first saith that eternal life had been
as we shall in our catasceuastical or affirmative part of our discourse more fully manifest But he concludes with his form of prayer I pray God to enable us all to hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and that we may renounce all those doctrines that set up any thing of man And much more say we do tend to the setting up of Satan or his kingdom to the abasing of Christ and that we embrace those doctrines which abase man and much more whatsoever is of the devil and which exalt the Lord according to that of the Psalmist Not unto us O Lord not unto us and much lesse unto the Devil but unto thy name and unto that only give the glory Psalm 15. Unto all which we say and that not formally but cordially Amen You see the Vindicator hath closed like a Saint of the Pharisaicall sect with a prayer even as specious in words of Scripture-phrase as his Preface was to his beloved friends placed in the front of his Vindication but when his prayer is explained to you in reference to his position That sinne will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live then it will appear to have the same scope and end to his said position as we have declared his Preface had For whom can he mean and include in the relative word us when he saith I pray God enable us but the Levites his friends and other his allies with himselfe For be it known to all men by these presents that we disown his Tenents and resolve to speak against them dum maneat Lachesi quod torqueat to speak until we lack breath if we have opportunity Secondly if to hold the unity of the Spirit be intended in reference to his position then these words must signifie to hold the onenesse of the wicked spirit for all sin is of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.9 therefore to pray in reference aforesaid to hold the unity of the Spirit is to pray to hold the onenesse of the wicked spirit in upholding and maintaining with one affection that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live Thirdly to hold it in the bond of peace is to pray in reference to the foresaid position that in the onenesse of affection to the wicked spirit that he and his friends may in all tyes bonds obligations of a quiet and peaceable agreement be bound together to maintain that sin will remain in the best of Saints as long as they live and not to disturb one another as those foresaid false Prophets do disturb them who deny their position Yea the Vindicator prayeth as ignorantly as he can if he maintain his position that he and his friends may renounce all the doctrine that sets up any thing of man to the abasing of Christ for if he intend that clause of his petitionary note in reference to our doctrine of a possibility of a total mortification of sinne in this life then his prayer is that nothing of man that is of us in contradistinction to himselfe and his friends may be set up to the mortifying of all sin and so to abase Christ by a total mortification of sin if he mean to prefer his own petition before our doctrine tendeth absit blasphemia dicto to the abasing of Christ But if he iutend to maintain to the end as he begun that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live then the said clause of his vote and prayer is a contradiction to himself and his position for doth any doctrine set up any thing of man but that Doctrine which maintaineth the necessary continuance of sin in this life for only sinne and allsin is of the Devill and man Joh. 3.9 Rom. 5.12 by one man sinne came into the world and 2 Thess 2.3 the devil or wicked one what ever men dream to the contrary is called the man of sin therefore for the Vindicator to pray that no doctrine be owned but renounced that sets up any thing of man is to pray against his own position that sin will remain in the best Saints as long as they live because only sinne and all sinne is from man as aforesaid And is there any thing which abaseth Christ but sins continuance when as the Lord complaineth thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities Isai 43.24 Hence also upon the same account that the doctrine of sins remaining is the setting up of man and abasing of Christ we say here also the clause of his prayer which is expressed in these words And that we embrace those doctrines that abase man and exalt the Lord is a prayer for the embracing our doctrines because a total mortification of sin in this life is it which exalteth Christ in his holinesse will and power to destroy all sin according to that James 4.5 6. for the Lord offereth more grace that is to overcome it See Phil. 4.13 Joh. 1.16 who came to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 that the Lord may be exalted alone in that day Isai 2.17 Not unto us Lord Psal 115.19 in a better sense then the Vindicator doth apply those words in reference to his prayer relating to his position but unto thy name be the glory who hast in some measure made known to us and made us to believe the true doctrine which abases man and exalts Christ which doctrine is a possibility of a total mortification of sin in this world Thus we have traced the Vindicator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the first to the last of his Vindication wherein the unbiassed Reader may easily comprehend what nonsense tacit contradictions besides open ones this Vindicator is guilty of in this his Vindication so that he hath first and last verified therein another apt Anagram of his name In no end right Our Gusmond hath spit folly with despite But marvel not for He 's in no end right The finis rei by his confession Of his positions is transgression Will you his friends elect this sinful wight To be your Pilot who 's in no end right Can he direct your souls unto heavens blisse Who at both ends doth steer amisse You Levites in his Preface cal'd to fight With us forbear for he 's in no end right His Jus and Saints mentioned in his letters Are mongrels compared with their betters For he cannot on best Saints temper light It to define who is in no end right Disown him then who hath no morning light Detest this vagrant who 's in no end right Having demonstrated the Anasceuastick or confutative part of our revindication and observed the Vindicators ends what they are we proceed to the Catasceuastick or confirmative part thereof in two axioms or assertions contrary to the Vindicators positions First we affirm that there is a possibility through the grace and help of Christ of a total mortification of
sin in this life Secondly that there is a possibility of perfect obedience through the grace and help of Christ to the Law of God in this life It is true that if these two assertions be not coincident yet they consequently follow each other so that to prove one of them is to confirm the other for if sin by the grace of Christ be rooted out in this life what hinders but the Law of God may be here by the same grace fulfilled yea to be so fulfilled as to be justified thereby and that through Christ of grace given and if the Law of God may be so far fulfilled here through the grace of Christ as not tooffend against the same then doubtlesse all sins may be rooted out here by the same grace yet we shal confirm each of them apart with their respective branches both by divine and humane authority so fully and clearly that scarce any Article of the Christian faith shall have more evidence of truth and piety to plead for it then our positions shall produce for themselves And first for the former of them That all sin and corruption may be and ought to be in this life by the grace and help of Christ purged and rooted out of the Saints which we shall evince by many Topick places And first from Gods expresse commandements which if they were not possible by grace to be performed were not only unjust and unlawful but would be frustrated of their end which is observance and accomplishment and the Author of them would be argued of the want of wisedome or equity and of tyranny and cruelty Of which sort are these among many other Job 11.14 15. If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickednesse dwel in thy Tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and not fear Psal 4.4 Stand in aw and sin not Isal 1.16 Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before me cease to do evil and 55.11 Depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence touch no unclean thing go ye out of the midst of her be ye elean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Jeremiah 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee Acts 22.16 And now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins by calling upon the name of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new Lamp Ephes 4.20 21 22. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus Christ that ye put off as concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupting through the lusts of error or deceit Coloss 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil Heb. 10.21 22. Having a High Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water Jam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you clense your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisie and envyings and evil speakings as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby vers 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul and 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh so arm your selves with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin The second Topick is from the promises wherein sufficient grace is promised for the effecting that which is so often so clearly and fully required Isai 1.25 And I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely take away thy dross and purge away all thy tinne and 11.14 But with righteousnesse shall he judge the poor and with equity shall he reprove for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breach of his lips shall he slay the wicked and 25.7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations and 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins and 61.1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bonnd Jere. 33.8 And I will clense them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and 50.20 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and from all your filthiness and from all your abominations will I cleanse you Amos 9.8 Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the kingdome of sin for so it is in the Hebrew and I will destroy it from the face of the earth Micah 7.14 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us who will subdue our iniquities And thou will cast all their sins into the depth of the sea the Lord will subdue them as he did the Canaanites and all other the enemies of David in his dayes so that there was neither adversary nor evill occurrent left in his son Solomon's entrance upon the kingdome 1 Kings 5.4 And will drown them as he did Pharaoh and his host of which not one escaped Zephan 3.13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies Zacha. 13.1 2. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Malachi 3.2 3. But who may abide in the day of his coming to wit in the Spirit and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is as the refiners fire and as the fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness and chap. 4.2 3. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings and ye shall go up and grow as calves of the stall And
5.17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfill to wit in us as for us for verily I say unto you that till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law till all be fulfilled and that in us as the next words there prove Whosoever therefore shall break one of these commandements and teach men so he shall be counted least in the kingdome of heaven c. Rom. 8.3 4. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth 1 Cor. â— 30 Who is made of God unto us wisdome in the understanding righteousness in the will and not onely sanctification in both but redemption in fulness also Ephes 5.25 26 27. As Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Titus 2.14 Who loved us and gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The sixth Topick shall be from the end of the law and the written word of God Psalm 111.4 5 6. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements vers 89. For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven And vers 105 106. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for our learning that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we should have hope 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work See 2 Pet. 1.19 ' We have also a sure word of prophesie unto which ye do well to give heed as unto a light shining until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts The seventh Topick shall be from the end of the ministry of the word set up in the Church by the Lord himself Ephes 4.11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ For which end see the Apostles suitable practise Coloss 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ As for the Topick of the end of the two Sacraments we have spoken before The eighth Topick then shall be the prayer which Christ hath taught us to pray and which his Apostles yea Christ himself hath prayed for this perfection Matth. 6.10 Thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 2 Cor. 13.9 And this also we wish even your perfection Ephes 3 19. That ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Phil. 1.10 11. That ye might be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse c. Coloss 1.9 10. For this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord to all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work chap. 4.10 labouring fervently for you in prayer that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God 1 Thess 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards each other and towards all men as we do towards you to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse chap. 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. Did those Ministers of God pray against perfection in this life as the Vindicator and a certain Minister in Salisbury who came out of New-England rather then out of new Jerusalem are said to to have done Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will 1 Pet. 5.10 Now the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternall glory by Jesus Christ after ye have suffered a while make you perfect c. Joh. 17.23 I in them and they in me that ye may be made perfect in one saith Christ The ninth Topick shall be the admission of this work as possible every where in Scripture Psal 112. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandements and 119 1â—2 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart they also do no iniquitie they walk in his ways Ezek. 18.21 But if the wicked will turn away from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Luk. 17.10 So likewise ye when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law are justified Jam. 2.8 If ye fulfill the royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye do dwell chap. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man 1 Joh. 5.3 4. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous for whatsoever is born of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1
the remaining and prevalence of their sins and spiritual enemies to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God against his and our spiritual enemies to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garments of praise for the spirit of heavinesse that they may be called trees of righteousnesse the plantings of the Lord that he may be glorified See Luk. 4.18 19 20 21. Luk 1.74 That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Tit. 3.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity in a purifying way and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil to wit by his spirit and power Rom. 16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Ephes 5.24 25 27. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and clense it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish The fifth Topick shall be the prayer that Christ his servants and his Apostles have made and thereby taught us to pray for this grace of a through purging from sin and victory over it and all temptations in this life who so prayed in faith that the things which they so prayed for might be obtained 1 Chron. 4.10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and wouldest enlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep me or redeem me from evil that it might not grieve me and God saith the Text ' granted him that which he requested as he will do unto us Psal 55.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Hos 14.1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take with you words and turn unto the Lord saying take away all iniquity and give good or receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips Mat. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil See Luk. 11.14 Joh. 17.15 I pray not saith Christ that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil 2 Cor. 13.7 Now I pray to God that ye do none evil Phil. 1.10 That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ 1 Thess 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly And I pray God that your whole Spirit soul and body may be kept or preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ The sixth Topick shall be the faith of the Apostles and of the elect in the Primitive Church which now and for many hundred years hath been almost quite lost in two grand benefits and works which they believed and hoped for This faith expected Christs spiritual coming and return with his Father and the Holy Ghost to set up his kingdom not only of grace but of power and glory in them here and for ever and in order thereunto they were to purge themselves by faith through his grace and help from all iniquity in the mean time as these following places do clearly witnesse and prove without all contradiction if duly looked into Joh. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come unto you yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye shall see me because I live ye shall live also At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father and ye in me and I in you He that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Judas saith unto him not Jscariot how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus answered and said if any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him and chap. 16.22 And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take away from you See Rom. 6.5 as before 1 Cor. 1.7 8. So that yecome behind in no gift waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will finish or perform it till the day of Jesus Christ vers 10. that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Jesus Christ 1 Thess 5.23 be preserved unto the coming of our Lord Christ as before 1 Tim. 6.14 That thou keep this commandement without spot unrebukable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.20 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation chap. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another so much the rather as you see the day approching vers 37. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and he will not tarry Jam. 5.7 Be patient therefore brethren vers 8. be patient and stablish your heart for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ All which places and many more to the like effect have absurdly been understood of Christs external last and dreadful coming to judgement which in so many ages since is not come to passe nor peradventure may arrive in many ages more whereas the former Texts speak of a day and an appearing or coming of Christ which the Saints were to expect and prepare themselves for in their dayes it being the kingdom of heaven which first John the Baptist and then Christ and his Apostles published to be at hand Mat. 3.21 and 4.17 which accordingly came to the Saints which waited for it in a right way Revela 12.10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven the Church of God wherein he dwels saying Now is
come salvation and strength the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast out who accused them before God day and night In hope of this kingdom and in order thereunto the Saints to whom it was published purified their hearts by faith in Gods sanctifying grace to be had in Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.2 3 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him or we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Act. 15 7 8 9. Men and brethren ye know that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and beleive and God which knoweth the hearts bare them witnesse giving the Holy Ghost unto them even as he did unto us and put no difference between them and us purifying their hearts by faith Out of this faith and hope the souls of Gods elect do cry unto God night and day for vengeance against Gods spiritual enemies and theirs who first had crucified Christ in them and by them and afterwards did cruciate and vex them with continual temptations and assaults Luk. 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men always ought to pray and not to faint saying There was in a City a Judge that feared not God neither regarded man and there was a widow in that City and she came unto him saying avenge me of mine adversary and he would not for a while but afterwards he said within himself though I fear not God nor regard man yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her lest by her continuall coming she weary me And the Lord said hear what the unjust Judg saith and hall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and hight though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Neverthelesse when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith upon earth Where now is this faith of Gods elect to be found yea where is the faith of the Apostles and their Churches to be heard or read of who looked for no life and glory by Christ unlesse they died with Christ unto all known sin Rom. 6.8 For if we be dead with him then we believe that we shall live with him and the doctrine which held forth that and no other way for the fallen man to enter into life the Apostle commends as a faithful and undeceivable word implying that the contrary doctrine and perswasions deceive mens souls in the end 2 Tim. 11.12 This is a faithful saying if we be dead with Christ we shall live with him if we suffer with him dying to sin we shall also reign with him If we deny him in this way he will also deny us The seventh Topick is the inequality between sin and Gods grace now to be had of Christ Jesus thereagainst Is 5.4.11 No weapon that is formed against the Lord shall prosper and every tongue that raiseth up against thee in judgment thou shalt condemne This is the heritage and so forth Rom. 5.17 For if by one or one mans offence death reigned by one how much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ vers 20 21. Moreover the law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did superabound that as sin had reigned unto death even so grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ The eighth Topick is the professed resolution of the Christians in the Apostles time to die unto all sin Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin namely by Christian profession and resolution live any longer therein Colos 3.3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God The ninth Topick is from the true end and use of baptism to teach us this death and burial of sin in conformity to Christs death and resurrection Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk after we are dead and risen again with him in newness of life for if we have been planted into the likeness of his death we shall also be planted into the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead Colos 2.12 Buried with him in baptism wherein ye are also risen through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead The tenth Topick is from the admission and assertion of this mortified and purged estate every where Rom. 8.2 For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the law of sin and death Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is justified or freed from sin 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ according to the Spirit he is a new creature old things are past away and all things are become new Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Chap. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The eleventh Topick is from the omnipotency of true faith in Christ Marth 15.18 Then said Jesus unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Chap. 21.21 Jesus answered and said unto them Verily I say unto you if ye have faith and doubt not ye shall not onely do this which is done to the fig-tree but also if you shall say unto this mountain of sin be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea it shall be done Mark 9.23 Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe all things are possible unto him that believeth John 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works then these shall he do because I go to the Father Unto which joyn that of our Saviour John 16.33 In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world even Satans world which ye through faith shall be by me enabled to overcome 1 John 5.4 5. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even