be justified by Faith which imports that Repentance is but a Disposing Condition and Faith the Receiving Condition Repentance without Faith is unavailable as Faith without Repentance is impossible Faith seems to compleat all and in a manner comprehend all Now Reader thou seest that all I say is That Faith alone receives Forgiveness by Christ or Christ for Forgiveness But that Repentance of Heart must be in that Soul who shall obtain Forgiveness see my Reasons Cap. 12. from p. 115 to 119. By the way note If it can be true as he saith p. 16. That I mean Works are necessary to Salvation as working Conditions when I exclude all Graces and Works as any Cause at all X. Mr. Ch. p. 29. What a sad case is a poor Sinner in if he make shift to scramble by his imperfect Conditions into Covenant He is like every day to be turned out again and when he hath done the best he can he must never believe that he shall go to Heaven till he lye a dying Repl. Here my Principles are represented as against the perseverance of the Elect Believer But I shall cite a few places and leave it to thy Judgment Cap. 7. p. 40. I affirm That Christ by his Righteousness merited and by his Spirit doth renew the Hearts of his Members and will in time so communicate of his Grace to them that they shall be perfectly holy even without Spot and Blemish And the Spots and Blemishes remaining in a godly man do consist with his justified state and shall not cast him out of God's Favour P. 138. Do not say the Elect Believer will not fall away I think the same yet is it the less true that even he shall perish if he fall away Nay doth not God by these Threats contribute to keep him from Apostacy And p. 173. I deny that a Principle of Life given at first conversion will finally fail to exert it self in due Humblings for repeated Enormities and in holy Resolves And p. 248. God sees no Sin in Believers so as to cast them out of a Justified state P. 66. The Gospel secures the Perseverance of Believers in that true Faith and the necessary effects and operations of it and thereby secures those Benefits as unforfeited Many more places might be produced as p. 37 c. XI Mr. C. p. 16. The great Quarrel you have with him is That he viz. Dr. Crisp makes it so much his business to vindicate the Honour of Free Grace and of the Lord Iesus in our whole Salvation P. 35. According to your own Principles it 's a question whether you have not put a Bar upon the Grace of God by making so daring and audacious an opposition to it as you have done in this Book Repl. This severe Charge is that I 1. oppose the Honour of Christ 2. I make an audacious opposition to the Grace of God even to a doubt whether I am guilty of the Sin against the Holy Ghost But I hope the places following will convince thee of his Mistake 1. I do not oppose the Honour of Christ though I would keep the Crown upon his Head See p. 55. Christ as a Priest hath merited all but as a King or Priest upon his Throne he dispenseth all And p. 209. We must teach that Christ hath purchased all Saving Benefits and that men must look to him as the Author of Salvation and Giver of that Grace whereby we obey the Terms of Life Cap. 22. p. 236. I am willing to own any thing that lays Man low and exalts Christ as the only Atonement the only Purchaser of all our Blessings the only Procurer of our Acceptance the Author and Finisher of all Grace Nothing can add to his satisfaction or fulness Pardon Peace Life all are the effects of his sole Merits we must do all in his Name act in his Strength daily live on him for all Supplies and look to him for Acceptance without whose Incense the best man and the best action were an Abomination What I contend for is his Government so wisely contrived to apply his Blessings to Men in a state of Trial. Reader look back to what is cited before 4 5 6 Heads and I am sure my Book is full of such Passages 2. I do not oppose the Free Grace of God See Cap. 23. p. 240 c. I have affirmed and would admit the fullest Expressions to testifie that in these is the Free Grace of God in Truth Of meer Grace he elected some certain Sinners to Life upon no moving foreseen Condition but yet to obtain it through Sanctification of the Spirit to Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Of meer love to Sinners no way deserving it he gave his Son to dye for them who also undertook to bring all the Elect to Salvation in the way appointed between the Father and him He without any thing in Man to deserve it gave his Gospel and thereby offereth in the vertue of his Son's Blood Pardon and Eternal Life to every one that will repent and truly believe and no penitent persevering Believer shall miss of Life by a failure of this Promise He freely and of meer Grace bestows Faith and Repentance yea gives his Spirit to create these and any other good Work in worthless vile Sinners and though he will not forgive any that finally refuse to believe and repent nor save any ungodly apostate man yet Pardon and Life are his Free Gift and no Grace nor Duty merits them they being no more than the required Conditions or Means of our partaking of them as the Gifts of God through Christ and so he hereby honours his own Government and no way indulgeth the Boastings of Men. P. 244. This Grace I adore and own the best to merit nothing to forfeit all yea to deserve Hell by the Law of Works And I do renounce all that Saints have or do as any aâ—…onement for Sin or Purchasing-price of the least Salvation c. Very many other places I might add and have said nothing inconsistent herewith unless that I muâ—…t be arraigned because I think that since God hath published his Will that he will forgive all such and none but such as believe and repent and will damn all that remain unbelieving and impenitent that therefore He is not alike free to forgive the Unbeliever and Impenitent whilst they remain such and to condemn the penitent Believer when he is by Grace made such Tho' I declare He will make all the Elect to become penitent Believers and then forgive them XII Mr. C. Truly for your comparing Christ and Holiness in the matter of Iustification 't is perfect stuff P. 16. You mean as a working Condition whereby you put Works in the place of Christ and mean as your Oracle speaks c. p. 30. Repl. Here as well as in other places I am represented to compare Christ and Holiness in Justification yea to put Works as working Conditions in the place
that I forbear more Testimonies But why are Gospel-Threatnings a Bull No doubt because the Gospel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glad tidings And indeed is it bad news that Sinners shall be saved if they repent and believe and many shall believe Will nothing be glad tidings but that they shall be saved tho' they neither repent nor believe This indeed was a Message unfit for God to send and tho' Mr. C. calls it a Bull Christ hath solemnly declared as the Lord of the N. Testament that they who believe not the Wrath of God abideth in them This cannot be a Threatning of Adam's Law for those Threatnings respected every Sin It is true the Unbeliever is damned for other Sins by rejecting Christ but what makes those Sins damning to him in the event notwithstanding the Offers of Life Is it every Sin will do this Will a vain Thought exclude a man from Pardon as much and as surely as final Unbelief Surely no But yet the Threatning of Adam's Law denounced Death against any Sin as much and as certainly as against final Infidelity and so did not appropriate Death to Infidelity as the Gospel-Threatning doth Besides is it an abiding of Wrath on us which Adam's Law threatned No it was the first bringing of Wrath on them that were free before III. TESTIMONIES that God hath declared a fixed Rule by which He pardons adopts and glorifies Sinners which Rule is his Gospel and not his Secret Decree To prevent mistake know that I speak not of the first Grace which He gives to all the Elect but I speak of Pardon and Glory which he hath promised upon Terms and judicially denies to them that refuse Christ. They put this Q. How is the Grace of God c A. The Grace of God is manifested in the second Covenant in that He freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him and requiring Faith as the Condition to interest them in him c. Here thou feest Faith is a Condition and a Condition required and this required to interest us in Christ No Interest but in conforming to this Rule that requires Faith to this end He De Christo grâ—…tis justificante p. 244. Conditio vero c. The Condition whereby we are properly justified is this That we believe in Christ and cleave to him by a constant profession c. P. 251 252. I ask When Salvation is promised freely for Christ's sake will the absolute Promise save all men promisâ—…uously for the sake of Christ without the limit of any Condition I think no such thing Go on then When this Promise belongs but to some and that only upon a certain Condition who then are those on whom this Promise properly falls Thou must say the Believer c. P. 297. Q. What Sinners are justified by Christ A. Those who enclined by a serious remorse bewail their Sins and displeased at themselves do recollect themselves with their whole Soul and are converted to Christ with an entire Faith these are the only Sinners whom Faith without Works doth justifie And p 311. Repentance prepares the Matter to receive Justification but the cause of Justification is Faith Consult these Canons of the Synod of Dort p. 289. The Promise of the Gospel is that whoever believeth on Christ crucified shall not perish but have everlasting Life which Promise with the Command of Faith and Repentance ought to be declared and proposed promiscuously and without distinction to all men to whom God in his good pleasure sends the Gospel But the reason why many that are called by the Gospel do not repent nor believe on Christ but perish in their Unbelief is not truly any want or insufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice offer'd on the Croâ—…s but through their own fault And the Synod adds p. 302. Quotquot autem c. But as many as are called by the Gospel are seriously called for God doth seriously and most truly declare in his Word what is pleasing to him viz. That they that are called should come to him and unfeignedly promiseth Rest for their Souls and eternal Life to all that come and believe I have cited these to shew that God sets down this general common Rule to all in his Gospel It 's not one Rule to the Elect and another to the Non-elect it 's the same to all Would the Reprobate obey the Call of the Gospel he should have Eternal Life And the Elect do obey this Call and thereupon obtain Eternal Life I could give very many instances out of this Book where Faith is called the Condition P. 105 Salvation is the thing promised in the new Covenant neither is it promised but upon the Condition of Faith Seeing therefore that all men have not Faith in Christ under which alone Condition is Salvation promised it is certain that Christ's Death hath not purchased the Restauration to a state of Grace and Salvation for all men but only for Believers See p. 12. God willeth that the obtaining of Life should be suspended on condition of foregoing Faith P. 76 77. When the Gospel is preached to Men an Experiment is made how they will prove as to Faith and Obedience if they acquit themselves in these they receive the Blessing of Eternal Life from God And p. 14. There is no Interest in Christ or Christian Religion to be obtained without Repentance from dead Works See p. 12 13 14. The removal hereof viz. Enmity of our Minds by wicked Works consists in this Repentance for that is our turning unto God upon the Terms of Peace tender'd to us c. All Doctrines Notions and Perswasions that tend to alleviate the necessity of Personal Repentance c. are pernicious to the Souls of Men c. P. 15. It hath an absolute inconsistency with the especial Righteousness of His Nature Christ and which he exerciseth as supreme Rector and Judge of all that any such should stand in his sight c. and for the Lord Jesus it would plainly make him the Minister of Sin c. and the Gospel doth openly propose Pardon of all sorts of Sin to all sorts of persons that shall believe and obey it If the Gospel did this without annexing to its Promise the Condition of Repentance never was there nor can there be so great an Encouragement to all sorts of Sin and Wickedness He on Ps. 130. p. 141. And this Connexion of Repentance and Forgiveness is that Principle from whence God convinceth a stubborn unbelieving People that all his ways and dealings with Sinners are just Ezek. 18. 25. and should there be any failure in it they could not be so if out of love to Sin or the power of Unbelief he refuse to close with him on these Terms his Condemnation is just P. 136. After the Angels had sinned God never once called them to Repentance he would not deceive them but let them know what they were to look for at his Hands He
whether Iustification Adoption and Glorification be Acts of God's Free Grace which I affirm but whether iâ—…â—…eased God to leave himself at liberty to justifie the Unbeliever while such and glorifie the Unbelieving and Wicked and also to damn the penitent godly Believer This Mr. C. affirms and I deny This is these mens Free Grace while they deny the Gospel-Rule and Law 8. It is not whether God hath as to us absolutely promised and coveâ—…nted with Christ that the Elect shall believe and all men believing be pardoned and so persevere in Faith and Holiness to Eternal Life which I affirm but whether there is a Covenant which require our true believing Consent to the Terms of it as â—… Conâ—…tion of Pardon and Glory and supposeth this true Consent in the actual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…f thâ—…se Benefits This Mr. C. denies and I affirm 9. It is not whether â—…uth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only Grace by which we receive and rest on Christ and his Righteousness for Iustification and that it is Christ received by Faith doth justifie which is the Sence of Protestants when they say we are justified by Faith alone this I affirm but whether he that can truly believe to Iustification must be in part a convinced humbled penitent Sinner This I affirm and Mr. C. denies yea he saith that Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith nay Pardon is the Cause of Faith 10. It is not whether Sanctification taken strictly do follow Iustification this I affirm but whether Effectual Vocation make a real habitual change in the Soul and that this Vocation is in order of Nature before Iustification This Mr. C. and the Letter c. deny and I affirm with the Assembly 11. It is not whether our sincere Faith Love c. are imperfect and so can be no meriting Righteousness which I affirm but whether they are disobedienâ—… even in Gospel Account and so incapable of being the Conditions of any of its promised saving Benefits This Mr. C. affirms and I deny These are some of the Points wherein Mr. C. and I differ I fear I shall find him in all things of Dr. Crisp's opinion as I have assurance he is in his Definition of Faith May not I now expect that People that rail at me will impute to me only what I thus plainly state The Body of well-esteemed Authors are on my side there 's an end to our Ministry if these be not true most of the practical Books we have as Allen c. are all Lyes and tending to ruine Souls if Mr. C. judge aright Thou wilt find in this Book Testimonies cogent to my purpose and if it will serve Mr. C. to say I wrest them and men there upon believe him I cannot help it Such as I quoted in my first Book ' are truly quoted and serve fully to what I produce them for but to reconcile all men to themselves is not my Work and yet I think it no hard matter to evidence that none of my Authors speak against my Assertions Mr. C. saith I am against the Articles of the Church of England and the Assembly I am sure he 'l never prove it and I profess the contrary and am certain he is against all Confessions of Faith that we own as Orthodox How far other Ministers are concerned for the Kingdom of Christ the Safety of Souls the Rule of Iudgment the plain Gospel way of Salvation to Sinners the truth and scope of their Ministry Time will evidence But in the strength of Christ I 'll sustain the utmost Persecution at the Hands of these angry men and while God enableth me they shall not overturn the Gospel by their unscriptural Abuse of the blessed Names of the Righteousness of Christ and Free Grace the Gospel way of the application whereof and a subservient Ministry being the whole I contend for I have oft attempted to adjust these things before I engaged nay since the severe Treatment I have met with I sent to Mr. Ch. that I would meet him and shew how much he mistook my Principles or if he refused a meeting I would send him an account in Writing that he might not abuse himself and the World but he would accept of neither as if he could not write without the Question were mistated Yea at the request of the united Brethren I agreed to suspend this Book if he would do so with his but this he refused Now whatever be the Consequences of these Debates I am innocent and commit all to God in whose Cause I though sickly weak and unworthy am engaged There is a Mystery in it that the Explication of one Text should be pretended by some for a Reason against my whole Book and so countenance all Dr. Crisp's Errors which yet they profess to dislike and the Impartial see I oppose nothing but those Errors The Doctrine of Imputation being still by Mr. C. c. objected against me though I have not yet had opportunity to insist thereon I will state that case 1. It is not whether Christ was a publick person as a Mediator in his Undertakings and so transacted all for Sinners that they might be pardoned and saved by his undertaken Satisfaction and Merits this I affirm but whether we were so represented in Christ â—…s that we were in Law sence they that undertook to atone and merit This I deny 2. Nor whether Christ was a Surety for us in a Bond of his own to pay our Debt to the full and much more that we might in a due time and way be released this I affirm but whether we were joynt-parties in one and the same Bond with him and so we were actually acquitted when he made Satisfaction and therefore God could enjoyn no Terms of the application thereof to us for Iustification and Glory nor suspend the same upon those Terms This I deny 3. Nor whether Christ was made under the Law and that this was one Article of his part in the Covenant of Redemption viz. That he should in a way of proper Satisfaction bear the substance of the Penalty of the Law and yield perfect Obedience to all such of its Precepts as were competent to his Person and this to save thâ—… Elect this I affirm but whether Christ was joynt-Covenant-Party with all the Elect in Adam's Covenant so that they were legally esteemed to make satisfaction and yield perfect Obedience in his doing thereof This I deny 4. Nor whether Christ's Righteousness is imputed to Believers and so made theirs that it is applyed to them and pleadable by them as what was always designed and undertaken for their Salvation and is the sole meritorious Cause of their Pardon Acceptance and Glory and this as effectually as if they themselves had satisfied and merited and this Righteousness is reputed by God as that which now pleads for their Impunity Acceptance and Happiness as Members of Christ All this I affirm but whether it be imputed as our formal Righteousness and so we may truly plead that
is only a causa sine qua non which is no Cause 2. Or that his Righteousness is not the sole meritorious or material Cause of our Pardon which in judicial acts are the same 3. Or that Christ's Sufferings are not immediately applied to our Pardon 4. Or that Pardon is by any act of ours as a joynt meritorious Cause with Christ each of which I hope the following Passages will clear me in P. 16. I affirm When we are pardoned the whole meritorious Cause of Pardon is the Atonement of Christ and what is required of Sinners is only a meetness to receive the Effects of it P. 39. I affirm That Justification and all other Benefits be the Fruits of Christ's Righteousness as the only meritorious Cause of them P. 40. We are for the sake of Christ's Righteousness delivered from the guilt of Sin and entituled to Life and accepted with God against all excluding Bars P. 41. Christ was he by whose Merits he forgives us but he never was forgiven we are forgiven and never had Merits of our own to forgive our selves And it 's enough that we were pardoned and adopted for his sake when we deserved endless Woe and are never capable of making the least atonement P. 43. Faith owns the Foundation of our Plea to be in Christ from whom are derived to us that Pardon and Right to Life which are the effects of his Righteousness for this we are justified for that Righteousness which is in Christ we are acquitted and adopted the efficient Merit is in him the Effect of the judicial Absolution for that Merit is in us The Righteousness is still in Christ for the sake whereof we are absolved or justified God hath for Christ's sake forgiven us but not for the sake of what is in ourselves c. and now being absolved or made righteous in a Law sence we have as much matter of glorying as absolved acquitted Sinners can have We are justified by his Righteousness that is for that we are forgiven and also entituled to Life which we had forfeited our selves but we are not made innocent nor so esteemed we are not accounted them who made the atonement we still take hold of Christ's Righteousness that by it we may be forgiven and this is our Blessedness and our Gospel-Righteousness which all such refuse who reject Redeeming Love from a Conceit of their own Merits or refuse the Terms of the Gospel which by the Promise do make us capable of being justified and saved for the Merits of Christ yet these still remain his Merits though thus beneficial to us in their Application as the procuring cause of all our Good P. 44. We still need Pardon and continue justified by the efficacy of the Righteousness of another and must look to Christ as the only Subject of it all our days Our justified state is a continuance of the blessed Effects of the Righteousness of Christ from first to last that Cause is still productive of Supplies as our Guilt returns or Necessities and Capacities renew or grow but our Redemption is ever in Christ. P. 249. Pardon is not the Effect of those Graces but of the Promise in the Virtue of Christ's Blood or of his Blood applied for Forgiveness by the Promise Reader if thou regardest Truth dost not thou find Christ's Sufferings to be a real Cause of Pardon a sole meritorious or material Cause all other Causes of that kind excluded and these Sufferings and Christ's Righteousness immediately applied See p. 247. We are justified only by Christ's Merits as the sole procuring Cause or Righteousness for which we are justified V. Mr. C. p. 21. The use of Christ's Sufferings is to compound with God for Sinners upon the account of the Old Law and put a Bar upon his Proceedings according to that and procure another Law by the Righteousness whereof we are justified which Righteousness is our own inherent Righteousness and not Christs And p. 30. Faith doth not justifie us by applying Christ's Righteousness c. but by its own Vertue as being a Righteousness it self c. but Christ's Righteousness hath nothing to do here it 's our own Faith and Repentance is the Righteousness in conformity to the Rule of Promise and that 's Latin for the New Law So p. 15. We are not at all entituled to this Blessing by Christ but by our own Obedience you mean c. Repl. I am represented as if I thought 1. That Christ served only to excuse us from perfect Obedience but that our Pardon and Glory given by the Promise were not the immediate Effects of his Merits 2. That he merited only that we might merit by our Faith 3. That our Faith and Repentance are the meritorious Cause of our Pardon and Glory by the New Law and so that Gospel-Conditions are of the same use to our Justification as Works were under the Law that is to be the Righteousness for which we are justified and saved All which I disown and expresly declare 1. That Christ hath satisfied Justice and merited Pardon and Glory these have their Being only on his account and he hath a Right to give them 2. When the Sinner partakes of these Mercies he partakes of them as the fruits of his Death and for his sake 3. God in Christ as our Ruler hath declared a Way and Order how he will dispense these Benefits to us and enjoyns our compliance with that Order If we believe tho' Faith be his Gift he will forgive for Christ's sake otherwise he declares he will not 4. Gospel-Conditions have no other use to our Interest in these Benefits than a complyance with this stated Rule of the Distribution of Pardon and Glory which are merited by Christ and given only for his sake This is my plain meaning in all he hath objected against consult my words in the Epistle and what I have repeated in the last Head and these following in my Book Cap. 7. p. 39. I affirm That Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his time and way be certainly partakers of its Saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. that Proposition He that believeth shall be saved P. 1. I affirm The whole meritorious Cause and Price of Justification Adoption and Eternal Life were perfect when Christ finished the Work of Satisfaction Cap. 3 p. 16. I affirm That when we are pardoned the whole meritorious Cause of that Pardon is that atonement and what is required of Sinners is only a Meetness to receive the Effects of it Cap. 10. p. 84. I deny that preparatory Qualifications do merit True Grace and that Faith or Repentance do merit an Interest in Christ. I say their whole use depends on Christ's Ordination P. 45. we are reputed righteous for the sake of what Christ did and not for the merit of what we have done P. 61. I deny the performance of the Conditions of the Covenant to be
be justified by it as a meer Condition I abhor the former and will through God's Grace dye by the latter In the first sence it 's only that for which I am justified in the last sence it 's only that upon which by God's Ordination the Righteousness of Christ justifies me As a Work it would make me just as an immediate Cause of Title but as a Condition it removes the Obstacle which God's Gospel-Threatning hath laid in the way of my obtaining his Gift of Righteousness upon Christ's account Hath God appointed Faith by his Command to be a federal Instrument to receive Christ's Righteousness I say no more so that Men will own Men shall be denied it without that Instrument But then must the Gospel be a Law of Works By no means tho' Mr. C. p. 30 31 33. thinks that whatever Law requires an Act of ours in order to Benefits for the sake of Christ is a Law of Works because I suppose the Action is a Work Is not receiving Christ an Action Ay but it justifies not as receiving but it 's Christ received justifieth I say the same but yet I ask Will Christ justifie me if I do not receive him A Christ he is and a full Righteousness he hath before I receive him yet I was unjustified notwithstanding that Why was I unjustified by his Righteousness so long Was it not because I received it not till I received it Well then sure though that Action of Receiving doth not justifie me yet that Action is by God's fixed Law necessary to my being justified by Christ's Righteousness not as it is an Action but as it answers to the Rule of the Promise whereby God enacts he will for Christ's sake justifie him that believes 6. The Apostle doth expresly tell us that the Gospel-Law is not a Law of Works Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then Is it excluded By what Law Nay but by the Law of Faith Here 's two Laws opposed and yet both are Laws and one no Law of Works neither We are threatned with an Answer P. 33. though I know as much as he is like to tell me yet I am sure I have the best Expositors for this sence and doubt not the defence of it Yea though he should argue it is but the Doctrine of Faith yet if God be a Ruler that commands that Faith in order to my obtaining saving Benefits I despise all that can be said against its being a Law But it may be he 'l admit a Solution of his Objection from Mr. Bulkley of New England The putting of a Condition doth not hinder or lessen the Free Grace of the Covenant so long as the Condition is Evangelical and not Legal And p. 328 329 330. he answers the Objection against the Gospel being a new Law and saith Tho' Christ be not a Law-giver to give a Law of Works to justifie our selves by it yet He is a Law-giver to give us a Law of Faith commanding us to believe c. p. 333 334. when it is said Do this and live Here the Promise of Life is legal because the Commandment of Doing is legal On the other side when it is said Believe and live here the Promise of Life is Evangelical because the Commandment of Believing is Evangelical but if we make the Commandment of Believing to be legal then the promise of Life upon Condition of believing must be legal also and then there is no difference left between these two Do and live and Believe and live which confounds Law and Gospel Heaven and Earth and makes the two Covenants all one See Mr. Ball The Covenant which was made of Free Love and calls for nothing at our hands but what comes from and shall be rewarded of meer Grace is a Covenant of Grace though it be conditional So the pardon of Sin is given of Grace and not for Works though the Pardon be granted to the Penitent and Faith on our part a lively unfeigned and working Faith be required to receive the Promise Obj. III. Mr. C. p. 2â—… Moreover all the preceptive Will of God then or afterward to be revealed was enjoyned to Man as his Duty to observe in the Law of Nature imprinted on his Heart As for Faith it was an eminent part of his Perfection and that which the Serpent first wounded him in by Temptation c. P. 22. I tell you the Gospel hath no Law-Sanction at all of its own but it only establisheth the Sanction of the Law by way of promise to all saved ones Christ is the end of the Law to them and as to those that are not saved the Law takes its course of them they came not under the efficacy of the Gospel at all Repl. The Argument of these words is that all the Precepts and Threats in the Gospel are part of the Law of Nature given to Adam and that Law of Adam is the only Law and therefore Faith in Christ which Sinners are called to is only the Voice of the Law of Works or Innocency and the whole Sanction of the Gospel is the Sanction of that Law and hence the Gospel must be no Law I might shew what a gross sence he gives of Christ being the end of the Law and that his words lead us to think that all Obligation except from Gratitude to Obedience lies on Christ only and not on the Elect that the Gospel hath no influence at all upon them that are not actually saved that the Gospel is only an absolute Promise or rather a Declaration of Election to the Elect and requires nothing at all from them as a term of any Benefit whatever and yet they are saved as Elect by the Law as immediately entituling them to Life without the interposal of the Gospel-Sanction that is the Gospel doth not only invest them in Pardon and a Right to Salvation by God's imputing Christ's Righteousness to them when Believers which was a perfect Obedience of his to the Law and a full Satisfaction to the Law-giver for them as their voluntary Surety Which I hold but that the Law immediately judgeth them to have obeyed it perfectly and also to have endured the Penalty in Christ he being their Proxy and Attorney This is the Method these men espouse whereby they destroy Christ's Sufferings as a proper Satisfaction exclude all Forgiveness as needless They debase Christ to an Attorney and exalt the Creatures as if they stood on the strictest Terms of Merit with God having legal Innocence of their own as having obeyed and atoned too Yea they had a Grant of all the Saving Effects of Christ's Death before they fell in Adam who was their Head even when Christ was their Head too for they were one legal Person wlth Christ alwaies as Elect and not when they become Believers And hence the Gospel doth require nothing of any elect persons to interest them in Christ or his Benefits But I pass by these and in opposition to the
He is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him If a man keep my Sayings he shall never see death He that doth my Commandments and keepeth them he loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given the Son to have life in himself and hath given him Authority to execute Iudgment also because he is the Son of Man He that heareth my word and believeth him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation It seems too that Church-Censures bind nothing of eternal danger even when rightly administred Dr. Owens in his Treatise of the Sabbath says near these words That our worshipping Christ in his Ordinances on Earth is the Condition of our being with him in Heaven 4. The Reason for all this is strange such Obedience is part of the Life promised then he rendred the Elect Libertines when he made such Promises He promised to make the Elect obedient therefore he cannot command them to be so Pursuant to his Promise he 'll make them obedient therefore the Terms to be obeyed are no foederal Conditions of other Blessings promised on those Terms because he 'l see they shall believe therefore he must not thus enact Believe and thou shalt be saved 5. But is there no distinction admittable in the word Life It 's sometimes put for Grace in us sometimes for Glory consummated sometimes it 's put strictly for the saving priviledge part of the Covenant as consequent to the Terms of it and that believing ye might have Life In this sence he saw I took it And doth God in every Promise of Life in this sence promise Obedience to the Terms of it 6. A few lines after these he determines the Judgment committed to Christ It 's not Legislation at all nay all of it is not Gospel-Iudgment he might have said none of it for with him the Gospel is no Law and so no Rule of Judgment Nay worst of all his Judgment is only to destroy not to save i. e. his Reward as Redeemer is to be Executioner of Adam's Law without conditional Offers of Pardon to any that are not saved for if there be no foederal Sanction in the Gospel there can be no conditional Offer to any that are not saved nay to none that are saved Now Reader see how Christ as Redeemer is honoured by Mr. C. He shall be of use to excuse us from loyal subjection while himself is dethroned as to the rectoral way of the application of his Merits This very point of Christ's regal Authority as Redeemer hath been defended by our Divines hitherto and I am sure he 'l take vengeance on them who obey not his Gospel I might instance others of his Principles which I suppose agree with Dr. Crisp as in his Description of Faith which he hints p. 36. and I have heard him more fully define it by assurance of our Pardon In that place he makes Faith of no use but to claim Possession to which it seems we had as full a Title before we believed And p. 17. Mr. C. After the manner of imputation in foro justitiae our Sins shall never be laid on us viz. the Elect qua-Elect Which I will prove against you when you will Rep. Let 's understand the Question for it is too confused What is this After the manner of imputation in foro c Do you mean the Elect shall never come to God's Bar of Judgment before they believe and are forgiven If so I grant it But if you mean that the past Sentence of God binds not the Sins of the Elect upon them while they are Unbelievers and that this Act of his by his Word is not an Imputation in foro divinae justitiae I freely accept your Challenge so that you will engage to avoid unruly Passions And it 's well if those Effects of Electing Love which Paul had applied to him in the Womb are not semen quoddam electionis which Calvin so condemns Of the same sort is what Mr. C. saith p. 34. of 2 Cor. 5. 18. Rep. 1 God is so reconciled that no want of atonement shall prevent Peace 2. That upon this atonement God offers Peace on the lowest Terms 3. That the Elect shall in time be enabled to obey those Terms and be actually reconciled 4. But the whole Canon of the Word and unopposed in this place assures me that the Elect are in a state of Wrath till they believe yea were God actually reconciled to them he could not suffer them to remain Enemies in their Minds by wicked Works and a total absence of his Spirit But I have not room for these and the like Mr. C. p. 10. After a certain zealous Neonomian had taken his Leave of us And p. 22. you play the Iugler more He saith Quoniam Christus Mediator c. being that both Christ the Mediator and Faith in Christ are only means of the restauration of Man to God by Holiness and Love Therefore it must doubtlesly be said that from the nature of the thing Faith Holiness and the Love of God are more necessary to Salvation than either Faith in Christ or the Sacrifice of Christ himself There 's a â—…one for you to pick. Rep. These are Mr. Baxter's words and had I been in his stead I should not have given so much occasion to simple Readers to startle but being the only seeming Difficulty Mr. C. hath put me to except the exercise of Patience I 'll see if the Offence may be prevented 1. Mr. B. doth not here compare the causal Influence of Christ's Satisfaction with our Holiness nor the use of Faith in Christ with Faith in God as the way of Life is now appointed by the Divine Will If any man had asked Mr. B. Is Holiness as meritorious of Salvation as Christ's Satisfaction is he would have answered No for Christ's Satisfaction is the sole meritorious cause of Salvation and Holiness is none at all If you had ask'd Mr. B. Is Faith-Love to God of that use to receive Christ for our Justification as Faith in Christ is he would have answer'd No Faith in Christ is in it self most apâ—… and by the Lord appointed to this use to receive Christ. Both these he ofâ—… affirms 2. Mr. B. here speaks only of the comparative necessity of these to Salvation with respect to the nature of the thing it self that is as he explains himself it cannot be a Salvation without Holiness at least habitual it 's a Contradiction as it would be to say Salvation without Salvation It is not whether is more necessary now to my obtaining Salvation as if I should ask whether is more necessary to the Essence of Man his Humanity or Christ's Satisfaction you would say from the nature of the thing
Death made with Men doth not consist in that viz. That we are justified before God and saved by Faith as it apprehends the Merit of Christ but in this that the Demand of perfect legal Righteousness being abrogated God accounts Faith it self and the imperfect Obedience of Faith for or instead of the perfect Obedience of the Law and graciously judgeth this worthy of the Reward of Eternal Life Which they justly brand as the Socinian Notion Reader I declare against this Error and have affirmed that Faith alone receives Christ and his Merits 2. That it 's the Righteousness of Christ alone which is the Meritorious or Material Cause of Justification 3. That our Faith Repentance or Works are not a jot of the material or meritorious Righteousness by or for which we are Justified They say Christ died that we might be saved if we believe I say Christ died that the Elect should believe and believing have Life through his Name To any one that knows the five Points wherein the Arminian Controversie consists I have said enough fully to acquit me I am positive for absolute certain Election for Christ's not dying alike for all For the Elect he died to secure their actual Reconciliation for others his Death is sufficient and real Offers of Salvation are made to them on the Terms of the Gospel notwithstanding their being condemned by the Law Again I say Man is corrupt and without the Grace of God he cannot believe All the Elect shall be though without violence brought by efficacious Grace to believe and finally persevere All which I oft assert in my Book An Account of some of Mr. C's Principles which he hath set up in opposition to mine I shall begin with Three of them and consider them together Mr. C. p. 24. The Essence of the Gospel is altogether Promise and Free Gift P. 28. The Gospel hath no Law-Sanction of its own but it only establisheth the Sanction of the Law by way of Promise to all that are saved P. 33. The Gospel as such is no Law hath no Sanction c. Which and many more places I may contract into this as his First Principle That the Gospel is in no sence a Law nor includes in it as any part thereof either any Precept nor any Promise upon any Condition on our part nor any Threatning If thou doubt the word Precept should not be added know the words above fully assert it And p. 23. he tells us The Precept of Faith is a Precept of the Law of Nature Mr. C. affirms p. 34. Whatsoever befalls Sinners retaining their sinful state and rejecting Grace is from the Law and not from the Gospel To talk of a Gospel-Threat is a Cataâ—…hresis at best and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. His Second Principles is The Gospel hath no Threatnings When my Question answer'd by him p. 32. was this Doth God promiscuously dispense these viz. Forgiveness Adoption Glory or any other promised Benefit given upon God's Terms I say Doth God dispense these without any regard to our being Believers or no Or whether our Faith be true or no Mr. C. answers I would know whether if God distribute his Free Grace to poor wretched worthless Creatures according to his Election and distinguishing Mercy doth he do it blindly because he finds no Reason in them Whence I may call this His Third Principle That God forgives adopts and glorifies Sinners without any respect to their being true Believers or no and Election and distinguishing Mercy be the only Rule by which he forgives adopts and glorifies Sinners as well as gives the First Grace To put the better gloss upon his Principle he saith p. 13. Doth God dispense Faith blindly c A. The Question was not whether God gave Faith absolutely but whether he gave Forgiveness and Glory promiscuously Nay he knows I oft-times affirm the former And in p. 21. he reviles me for saying That there must be a Work of the Spirit for conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the person to be pardoned Yea this third Principle must follow and is but the same as That the Gospel is no Law or stated Rule of Forgiveness Adoption and Glory And he affirms that Faith is a Precept of the Law and denies that any Precept of the Law is a Rule of Happiness with a Sanction p. 22 23. Repl. Not to insist how in the first Point in what he saith of the Sanction he excludes Forgiveness of Sin altogether yea and as he words it may bind the penal Curse on us He opposeth in these three Principles what he calls my 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15th Paradoxes but had he considered the 4th and 13th he had answered his few seeming Arguments and prevented his gross misrepresentation of my Principles There he might have seen that I assert 1. There is a Certainty that the Elect shall obey the Terms of the Gospel and be infallibly saved 2. That it is Christ's Righteousness which is the alone meritorious Cause of a Believer's Justification and Salvation and that our complyance with the Terms of the Gospel by the Grace of God is no more than our answering that Rule by which God bestows on us Justification and Salvation for the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ. He that cannot distinguish between the Righteousness for which we are saved and a complyance with that Rectoral Method wherein God doth save us for that Righteousness and the Interest arising from that method complied with had better sit still than meddle with these Disputes Reader tho' I did not once call the Gospel a Law in all my Book and only said in my Preface that the Apostle called it a Law of Faith with respect to what I had discoursed yet because the whole of Mr. C's Book runs on this I shall insist most on this Head 1. by explaining the word Law then 2. in what sence it is not a Law 3. shew in what sence it is a Law which I shall prove c. 4. answer his Objections 5. produce some Testimonies 1. As to the name or word Law It hath pleased God to call the way of his application of Grace to fallen Sinners by various names and by that variety to help our Apprehensions which one name would not so well contribute to It 's called a Law a Covenant a Testament a Promise a Word c. none of them exclude the others and are easily reduced to each other A Promise of God that sets down an Order in conferring Benefits wherein he enjoins any Duty on Mans part in that Order hath the nature of a Law yea tho' he engage to enable the Person to do that Duty We must also consider that God in some respects varies these Terms from their common use among men both his Dominion and his Grace abating their rigid Sence He calls it a Law but yet his Mercy resolves thereby to confer such Benefits as brings the Law
and so deny the Deity of Christ even by Mr. C's Argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article is wanting to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore it 's to be thus render'd The word was a God not the God a God by Office for that is a God but not by Essence which would be the God 5. The Context doth manifestly specifie this Law and not exclude every Law It 's true the Gospel argues à fortiori against Justification by the Law of Innocency yet he directly speaks of Moses's Law as any may see in reading the places Mr. C's Proof is taken from Gal. 3. 11. And doth not the Apostle v. 17. say The Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul the Covenant c. Was it every Law that was given 430 years after Abram So from Rom. 3. 28. cap. 4. And is not the Apostle in the three Chapters express That that Law was the Jewish Law or at most the Law of Nature together with it But more of this last hereafter Reader Mr. C. seems fond of this Argument from the Article and thence oft repeats it but do thou but read one Book in the Greek Testament by his Rule viz. that where the Article is omitted from a word in negative Propositions there every Species is excluded yea bring it down to Names and where the Article is omitted then it is any Peter any Iohn who is there spoken of Obj. II. Mr. C. oft objects as p. 5. Works performed under a Law-Sanction are legal Works and do make the Covenant enjoyning them a Covenant of Works And a few lines before saith he The performance of Duty as Terms enforced by a Law-Sanction is a Covenant of Works so that such men are Preachers of a Law no matter what Law P. 21. The preceptive Will of God with the Sanction of Rewards promised upon the things required and Threats of Punishment upon the non-performance is alwaies a Law or Covenant of Works This runs through his Book and he oft saith The Gospel hath no Sanction and if we say so we make iâ—… a Covenant of Works P. 10. Christ is of no effect to him that is justified by a Law Repl. 1 He oft seems not to understand what a Sanction is for p. 24. he takes it to be meer Life and Death considered abstractedly but not as determining the way of giving of the one or inflicting of the other Whereas a Sanction consummates a Law and determineth what the Benefit or Penalty shall be and the certain Connexion between the Benefit and the Condition and between the Penalty and the want of that Condition c. Now will any except Mr. C. say That God hath not by the Gospel given Assurance that upon believing we shall be saved Have not we God's Word Oath and Seals for this 2. A Law-Sanction doth not exclude the greatest Mercy and Grace in conferring the Benefit It 's true that if the Condition be in it self meritorious then in that respect the Benefit is of Debt and was made a Condition in the Covenant because of its condignity if exactly proportionable or congruity if less valuable But God chuseth a Condition that hath â—…o merit either of Congruity or Condignity nay the Benefits are purchased by Christ qua good things in themselves and they be freely given tho' in this way Is it not a gracious Law though a Law that If fallen wretches will duly accept of my Son they shall have Life by him and this I command them to do 3. His Mistake seems to be in his Notion of Reward and in his upon and not upon performance of the Condition Gospel-Benefits are no Reward of Debt and yet they are given in a way of reward The Benefits are given not for our Faith yet upon believing not upon it as a meriting consideration yet upon it as that the presence whereof is made necessary by the Gospel this having required Faith and confined the Benefit to him that believes If a man says I 'll give you a thousand pounds if you will come to my House and fetch it is it not a free Gift though the poor man must come if he will have it And the Giver is yet bound by his Promise to give it if he come and not bound to give it if he refuse to come Do not say receiving Pardon is only naturally necessary and not as a Condition enjoyned for God might have applied Christ's Merits for Pardon though the Sinner consented not A Lunatick may be pardoned by a King and the Rich man might have sent the thousand pound to the Poor man's House whether he came for it or no but Christ resolved to shew his governing Authority in the displays of Grace and excite to Duty by Motives from Benefits though the Benefits shall be so given as that what we do shall be no cause or Merit of them 4. Hath the Gospel Covenant no Sanction What think you of Heb. 8. 6 He is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better Promises I hope he 'l grant this Covenant is the Covenant of Grace in a greater opposition to the first Covenant with Adam though more immediately opposed to the Jewish Covenant yet this second Covenant hath a Law-Sanction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sancitum est saith Beza It 's a greatest part of the new Name Mr. C. hath reproached the Gospel with here 's a Law a Law-Sanction which the new Covenant is consummated by Men skilled in the Socinian Controversies lay the stress of the Cause of Truth upon Arguments from Condemnation and Justification being God's Rectoral Acts but what a loss will they be at if God do not 〈◊〉 by a or any Law as Mr. C. saith p. 18. Where 's Dr. Owen's Law of Iustification Yea We must part with the Force of Rom. 5. 19. 5. But why must it needs become a Law or Covenant of Works meerly by a Sanction The great difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace lies in this What is the Righteousness for which we are saved Is it the Righteousness of Works or the Righteousness of Christ But it is not how we come to obtain Salvation by Christ's Righteousness Doth God make our Faith or Sincerity to be our Justifying Righteousness If he saith If thou truly believe I will justifie thee by Christ's Righteousness but if thou believe not thou shalt remain condemned something might be said tho' not enough if we were to believe by our own Strength but that is not so More might be said yea enough if our Faith and Sincerity were to be the Righteousness for which we are pardoned or entituled to Life but neither is it any thing like that nor doth the Gospel design it nor its Law-Sanction at all infer it It 's one thing to be justified for Faith as a Work or inherent Qualification though it be such a Qualification it 's another thing to
Argument I shall in the strength of Christ evidence that the Law of Nature or Works is not a hindrance to the Gospels being a Law but that the Gospel is another Law distinct in its Precept and Sanction and other respects 1. The Gospel is distinct in its preceptive part from the Law of Innocency Faith in Christ was never commanded by that Law To say Faith in God was a Duty is a vain Objection for Faith in Christ as a Saviour is specified from its Object and is distinguished into temporary historical saving c. The Faith that Mr. C. saith Adam was wounded in was meerly a Faith of Assent which the Devils have or a natural Trust in God as Creator But what 's that to a receiving of Christ or consent to him as Redeemer and relyance on him Of which more by and by Is it not strange that Mr. C. saith The Law never brings us to God then Faith doth not for it's part of the Law c. But let 's hear what others speak Mr. Hooker of New E. p. 337. saith I flatly deny that Adam if the Lord Jesus had been revealed to him was able to believe in him and so to rest upon him c. the Reason to confirm this Point that Adam had not this Grace of Faith is this this believing in the Lord Jesus is that which doth directly cross the Estate of Adam in his Innocency c. He to p. 343. proves it and answers Objections P. 338. to one he thus says I answer that not believing in the Lord Christ is not a Sin against the Moral Law but it is a Sin against the Law of the Gospel 1 Ioh. 3. 23. Rom. 3. 28. Mr. Bulkley p. 327. lays down this That Faith in Christ unto Justification and Salvation the Commandment enjoyning this Faith is no Commandment of the Law but of the Gospel which I prove by these ensuing Arguments This he doth by no less than nine Arguments and answers many Objections from p. 327. to 335. and thus concludes Thus far we are come that the putting of Faith as a Condition of Life in the Covenant of Grace doth no whit derogate from the freeness of Grace D. Goodwin affirms That Faith now is of another kind than the Faith of Adam As to the Principle Objects Light c. ours is supernatural his natural and as you may see at large proves by several Reasons that his was but natural as 1. All other things belonging to him were natural c. and therefore it would be strange that if the Principle of Faith in him which then was not of general use should be supernatural c. 2. For him to have a supernatural Principle of Faith as we have was in him superfluous and vain This he shews because Adam's Covenant would not have brought him to Heaven 3. It would not only have been of no use but it would have made him miserable 4. And therefore our way of Faith must needs be supernatural and altioris ordinis from his c. which he proves 1. in the respect of the Objects revealed to our Faith which his Mind should never have arrived at 2. in regard to the Light by which our Minds are acted and elevated 3. in respect of the way or manner of Knowledge or Assent raised up thereby I might add the Testimony of one whom Mr. C. honoured who gives this reason in the present Debate saying viz. If Consent to the Covenant was a Duty by the Law then the Law did bind to its own dissolution But I suppose this may serve to shew that Faith in Christ was no Duty by the Law of Nature and therefore either it is a Command of the Gospel-Law or it is no Duty at all The like I might shew of Repentance which Melancthon's Followers prove against Flaccius Illyricus Obj. If any one should object Did not the Law of Nature bind us to do whatever God should at any time require A. You must consider 1. the Law of Nature less properly as the Rule of Happiness in the Covenant of Innocency and so it was appropriated to that state and was a particular Law of Works If so considered the several Precepts of it were written on Man's Heart and God and the Creatures ministred Instruction to the innate Light which was inherent in our Minds and that in a natural way Some Ruins of both are still preserved to fallen Man Rom. 1. 19 20. Cap. 2. 14. In this sence Faith and Repentance could have no place at all in the Law for it was a Law to govern and save Innocent Man but not to recover Sinful Man To suppose our own Perfection to be the Condition of Life and yet to be obliged at the same time to repent of Sin or believe in an aâ—…oning Saviour to have our Abilities immediately from God as Creator and a Stock in our own Hands and yet be obliged to depend on Christ as Mediator for all Strength are utterly inconsistent 2. If you take the Law of Nature for the remaining Instincts and Notices of it in Man which ought to be perfect and assisted and directed by the Works of God sure the Gospel must be another Law or else Heathens are able to find out Christ by the Book of Nature and engaged to receive him and rely on him though he were never revealed to them The reason is this the Law of Nature in this sence binds all the Heathens and its Precepts are engraven naturally upon their Hearts and God and his Works consider'd naturally direct their Minds 3. The Law of Nature may be considered most generally viz. as it is an Obligation upon Man to believe and obey whatever God shall any way or time reveal and require and to suffer for Disobedience what God shall threaten In this sence indeed the Law commands all Duty in general but it doth not deny the Gospel to be a special Law for this indeed doth oblige us to obey all God's Laws when he makes them Laws but it doth not determine any one Law nor give a Being to one particular Precept It 's the Foundation of our Obligation to submit to God's Authority as Creatures but appoints not wherein we must instance that subjection It 's the same as an Obligation among men to Allegiance to the supreme Power which I hope prevents not the Ruler's Acts to be Laws This Law of Nature subjects us to God's Threatnings which he shall pronounce at any time for Sin but determineth neither the sort nor degree of the threatned Evils This Law is common to good Angels Devils innocent Man fallen Man yea damned and glorified Man for they are all engaged as Creatures to obey the Laws of God when he enacts them and suffer what he threatens if they obey not But is the Gospel therefore no Law or only this Law of Nature Then Angels Devils and the Damned are obliged to believe in Christ for Salvation Do not say
a fixing us in our happy estate in the Gospel he deals with us in order to our recovery from a lost estate in that there was no Mediator in this there is a Mediator who also is our King-Redeemer Many more might be added Reader weigh all these things and if the Gospel must be a special Law so that it be not the Law of Innocency what can be more plain than that it is not the same with the Law of Innocency or Nature either I could farther demonstrate that the very appropriation of Faith tho' it were a legal Precept to be the grand Condition of Salvation doth argue the Gospels being a distinct Law for otherwise any Duty would be of equal use But because Mr. C. charges me as a New Gospeller I 'll give thee a few of the hundreds that oppose his three former Errors and consent to my Paradoxes as orthodox TESTIMONIES that 1st the GOSPEL is a LAW Our Divines in the Synod of Dort say par 2. p. 104. Ex sacris literis c. It 's evident from the Scriptures that some are judged and condemned for Sins committed only against the Light of Nature who yet are excused for not performing the Law of Faith through invincible Ignorance which Excuse can have no place where God publisheth this Law and men are required to obey it Many other places from this Synod might be added Willet saith p. 888. We exclude not every Law but the Law of Works but the Law of Faith is not the Law of Works And p. 635. The Publican finding Mercy and departing justified no doubt had also an express purpose in himself for ever to forsake his Sin for otherwise he could not have been justified nor found remission of Sin for this is the Law and perpetual Rule of Forgiveness Ezek. 18. 21. Lex evangelica clamans the Gospel-law cries Believe and thou shalt be saved Hooker of Effect Calling p. 338. saith I answer not believing in the Lord Christ is not a Sin against the Moral Law but it is a Sin against the Law of the Gospel as he proves fully Saith p. 328. Hereto agree the words of the Apostle Rom. 3. 27. where the Apostle distinguisheth between the Law of Works and the Law of Faith by the Law of Works understanding the Moral Law by the Law of Faith understanding the Gospel c. he adds Here are two distinct Laws having two distinct Commandments as two distinct Conditions of the two Covenants This he proves at large P. 102 to 122. proves the Law as given to Israel was the Gospel Covenant for Substance P. 113. saith Faith in Christ is not commanded in the Moral Law as it was engraven in the Heart of Adam in the state of Innocency but as it was given to Israel to be a Rule of Life to a People in Covenant it was presupposed and commanded Lib. 2. Cap. 1. proves at large that God published a new Law as Redeemer to Man upon his Fall P. 17. Christ will proceed at the Day of Judgment according to a double Law the Moral Law and the Law of Faith the Moral Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the Law to do it Now by this Law we are all cast but the Law of Faith affords to Mankind a mitigation of the Moral Law and begins where the other ends God having sent his only begotten Son to this end that whosoever believes on him should not perish notwithstanding the Condemnation of the Moral Law but have everlasting Life Much like the favourable Law amongst us which affords the Benefit of Clergy c. P. 19. Those therefore whom Christ shall then acquit are acquitted by the Gospel or Law of Faith those whom he condemâ—…s he condemns by both Laws P. 230. They that really believe Forgiveness in God do thereby obtain Forgiveness Believing gives an interest in it it brings it home to the Soul concerned This is the inviolable Law of the Gospel Believing and Forgiveness are inseparably conjoined P. 139. he saith Repentance was no Duty to Adam in Eden it is none for the Angels in Heaven nor for the Damned in Hell what then may be the Language of this Appointment O Sinners come and deal with God by Repentance c. It 's true many do deceive themselves they raise themselves unto an expectation of Immunity not on Gospel-grounds But God deceives none whoever comes to him on his Proposal of Repentance shall find Forgiveness It 's said of some He will laugh at their Calamity c. But who are they Only such as refuse his Call to Repentance with the Promises of Acceptation annexed See p. 254. P. 375. Faith is the only Condition of the Covenant of Grace which is therefore called the Law of Faith P. 7. The Covenant of Grace the Apostle calls it the Law of Faith and it is especially expressed thus He that believes shall be saved P. 308. The Precept of Believing is a Gospel-Precept only and the Punishment for Unbelief is threatned and inflicted in relation to the Gospel as he oft shews at large and in p. 10. instanceth in five things a great difference between Faith in Adam and Gospel-Faith one of which is that tho' there was a kind of Faith in Adam yet it was not to be the Condition of that Covenant c. But the Faith required in the Covenant of Grace comes in purposely as the Condition of Life and Justification for the Sinner P. 18. Oh saith the Law such Duties have been omitted such Sins have been committed such Sabbaths have been prophaned c. such Tenders of Grace have been slighted Here saith he the Gospel Law comes in as an Accuser too And p. 55 553. You must so confide and rely on Christ's one most perfect and all-sufficient Sacrifice as yet withal to be careful that you on your part do perform those Gospel-Conditions which God enjoins and requires of you in order to Remission Justification and Glorification c. The whole Business of Merit and Satisfaction lies upon Christ but as to Believing and Repenting the two grand Gospel-Conditions they lye upon your selves with respect to the Act tho' not the Power and must be done by your selves yea and the doing of these is as necessary on your parts under the notion of Conditions as suffering and dying was on Christ's part under the notion of Merit And it is most certain that the latter without the former will not profit you because Christ never designed to impute or make over his Merit to any further than as they should make good these Conditions of Faith and Repentance P. 553. he shews the Rock of Popery is to trust in these as Merits and the Rock of Antinomianism is to deny that respect to Holiness Obedience Faith and Repentance which is due to them as Means and Conditions P. 157. you read Rom. 3. 27. the Law of Faith and the Law
hath no Forgiveness for them and therefore would require no Repentance of them It is not nor ever was a Duty encumbent on them to repent nor is it so unto the Damned in Hell God requires it not of them nor is it their Duty there being no Forgiveness for them What should move them to repent Why should it be their Duty so to do Assignation then of Repentance is a revelation of Forgiveness God would not call upon a sinful Creature to humble it self and bewail its Sin if there were no way of recovery or relief Pray see him p. 151 c. P. 184. he saith Whence is it that men perish in and for their Sins Is it for want of Mercy Goodness Grace or Patience in God Is it through any defect in the Mediation of the Lord Christ Is it for want of the mightiest Encouragements and most infallible Assurances that with God there is Forgiveness Not at all but meerly on the account of their own obstinacy stubbornness and perverseness they will not they hate the Light they will not come to Christ that they may have Life See his awful denunciation of the Curse against all that resolve to continue in the neglect of this Salvation p. 272. I 'll add one Passage of his p. 144. the satisfaction made for Sin being not made by the Sinner himself there must of necessity be a Rule and Law-Constitution how the Sinner may come to be interessed in it and made partaker of it for the consequent of the Freedom of one by the Suffering of another is not natural or necessary but must proceed from a Law-Constitution Compact and Agreement Now the way constituted and appointed is that of Faith or Believing as explained in the Scripture If Men believe not they are no less liable to the Punishment due to their Sins than if no satisfaction at all were made for Sinners P. 624. he asks whether there be any Terms or no Terms in the Covenant he answers Surely there are How shall poor Creatures make out their Interest therein unless God hath declared upon what Conditions we shall be possest of the Priviledges c If God hath once declared the Conditions if we would have the benefit we must consent to them In the last part p. 127. he tells us the Conditions of the Covenant are Faith Repentance and new Obedience P. 374. Nothing can be objected against the Conditions He requires viz. Repentance and Faith Can any Malefactor expect Peace with his Sword in his Hand And is it not fit there should be such Conditions to justifie God since we were the guilty Offenders can there be less than to cast away our Weapons bewail our Sins receive the Mediator and serve him with newness of life They are such reasonable Conditions that the Honour of God would not be provided for nor have a salvo without them See p. 692 349 c. P. 36. Make sure of true saving justifying Faith c. it secures from this Condemnation both as it is the Grace which unites to Christ and also as it is the great Condition of the Gospel upon which it promiseth Life and Salvation c. He may set down what Condition he pleases in order to the giving out of his Grace which when they are performed he is engaged to make good what he promiseth upon them How oft doth he tell us that God requires of every man Faith to be the Condition to be Partaker of the Covenant P. 114. and p. 143. he saith The Condition requir'd of us is the doing this viz. to repent to serve the Lord in newness of Life Bulkley by very many Arguments from p. 278 to 298. doth prove the Gospel-Covenant to be conditional P. 280. The Lord doth not say to any Soul I will save you and bring you to Life though you continue impenitent and unbelieving but commands and works us to repent and believe and then promises that in the way of Faith and Repentance he will save us Had I room I would give thee full proof that Davenant Pemble Perkins Twiss Scharpius Zanchius Rollock Wendelin Altingius Burgess Blake New-England Synod Turretin Synod of Dort with hundreds more do positively affirm the Gospel-Covenant to require a Condition on our part and so fix this Gospel-Rule Mr. Chancy's Father urgeth it p. 79 132 123 116. where he shews what we must do to obtain the Propitiation So 117. Mr. Rutherford affirms That to deny there be Conditions is to bely the Gospel and adds That Good Works are Conditions without which we cannot be saved p. 38. and p. 36. It is a new Heresie of Antinomians to deny a conditional Gospel it is all one as to bely the Holy Ghost who saith He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not is condemned already Or they may say whether Men believe or no they may be saved as Dr. Crisp saith P. 445. If not then be wise and 〈◊〉 from the Wrath to come and there is but one way and that is by closing with Jesus Christ and giving your selves up to an entire subjection to his Yoke There is no way to escape Wrath and secure Eternal Life but this P. 276. Consider where you will lay the blame of your Destruction you cannot lay it upon God for he gave Christ to redeem and save you you cannot lay it upon Christ for he would have gathered you and you would not he never cast you off till you cast him off you cannot lay it upon the Spirit for he would have convinced and converted and sanctified you and you have resisted and quenched him you cannot lay it upon your Ministers for they have set before you Life and Death and declared to you the danger of Sin and necessity of Holiness but you would not believe their Report c. So that you can lay the blame no where but upon a cursed corrupt Heart thy Destruction is of thy self See what he saith of Conditions and decree under the Head the Gospel is a Law P. 182 183 184 c. proves the Covenant to be conditional that without Faith there is no relation in a way of Covenant 'twixt God and us and that upon Faith God becomes our God in Covenant and answers Objections P. 188 189. he speaks to Sinners presuming of the many Promises of Salvation c. Oh but Sirs there is a Condition in the Bond which he oft repeats P. 430. when he had proved Repentance was necessary to the remission of Sin he adds Whereas they say this is Popish and Legal they speak ignorantly if not maliciously c. it is as Popish to say Repentance is required for Assurance as for Remission for both are Acts of Grace Conjunctas autem c. But Repentance and Remission of Sin are joyned together and truly so that Repentance goes before Forgiveness This partly the Word of God teacheth yea Reason it self and common Sence however corrupt doth
manifest it he proves this fully So Calvin God forgives no Sins but such as Men are displeased with themselves for c. The excellent Mr. Clerkson will help thee to resolve some seeming difference thou findest among Authors who in one place seem to deny the Covenant to be conditional and in other places affirm it See p. 132 133 134. After he had asserted the first Grace to be absolute viz. in Effectual Calling c. he adds The subsequent Blessings of the Covenant those that follow the first are in some sence conditional and so offer'd and promised in a conditional form and yet are nevertheless gracious There are Terms and Conditions taking the word Conditions in a Latitude as comprizing Qualifications Adjuncts and necessary Antecedents which do no way derogate from Grace neither detract from its freeness nor obscure but rather illustrate it Rom. 10. 8 9 10. Rev. 3. upon such Terms are Iustification Adoption and Salvation offered and not offered but upon Terms and yet most freely and graciously c. and not only Faith but holiness of Heart and Life and perseverance therein are the Terms upon which Salvation is promised c. P. 134. And hath constituted an Order amongst them so that one must go before another we must believe before we are justified and be holy before we can see God and hath appointed one of them to be the means or way to obtain the other We are justified by Faith we are created unto good Works that we should walk in them Acts of holy Obedience are the way wherein we must walk to Salvation So that here is an antecedence of some Duty and that necessary by divine Appointment and Command and this tending to obtain the Favour freely offer'd And by this we may understand what a Condition is in a sence very innocent and no way injurious to Grace It is an Antecedent necessarily required as the way to attain or arrive at what is promised And in this sence it must not be denied there are Conditions in the Gospel and its Promises unless we will deny that there are Duties necessary to Salvation and made necessary by Divine Command for such a Condition is nothing but something of a Command joyned with a Promise in a conditional form c. He commands all to Repent and He promiseth Pardon put this Promise and that Command together and it becomes a conditional Promise If you repent you shall have Pardon 1 Iohn 1. 9. But p. 137 138 140. he justly excludes meritorious natural and legal Conditions By which Legal he means not whatever is commanded with an annexed Promise for that were to contradict all here cited but such Conditions as do entitle us to the Benefit as the very Righteousness for which we merit or obtain them which I have oft denied Gospel-Conditions to be And so he explains himself Reader it 's evident what a number of Men fall under Mr. C's Curse as well as I and judge thou what reason he hath to pretend to the old Gospel and arraign us for a new one My Paradoxes appear the common Sentiment of the notedly Orthodox while his Principles must be content with the Patronage of new sangled Antinomians The Testimonies under the 1 2. Principles prove this Rule Because the Paradoxes may be entire I 'll add the 10th viz. the Wedding Garment Mat. 22. 11. is true Uniting Faith of which Mr. C. p. 32. your saying the Wedding Garment was Faith and not the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith â—…is a wretched wresting and abuse of Scripture c. Repl. 1. Doth a true Uniting Faith exclude Christ's Righteousness or include it Keep to this Rule when you speak of being justified by Faith and what will become of the Object justifying 2. Is it Christ's way to condemn Men meerly because they have not a Privilege or else because they neglected the Terms on which that Priviledge was promised The former was meer Misery and no Fault the latter is a Fault by which he is obnoxious to that Misery and therefore fittest to ground a Sentence on 3. I 'll joyn two to help to bear this Calumny Fox p. 343. Sed per solam fidem c. But by Faith alone therefore Faith is that Garment made white in the Blood of the Lamb which properly cloaths us for the Wedding And Mr. Gale p. 197. Should you this night hear the Cry Behold the Bridegroom cometh are you ready to enter into the Wedding-Chamber Have you the Wedding-Garment of Faith and Holiness As to Phil. 3. 8. I have tryed stronger Arguments than Mr. C. is like to offer and yet my sence of that Text is not alter'd and fear not to defend it in due time Mr. C. p. 27 As for the Notion that the Covenant of Redemption is a distinct Covenant from the Covenant of Grace I deny it Repl. By the Covenant of Grace is meant the Gospel-Covenant made with Men. Mr. R. proves that the Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace are two distinct Covenants p. 308 to 313. So doth Mr. Gilaspie Cap. 1. 2. and shews the Difference between these two Covenants cap. 5. The same is proved by Mr. Sedgwick p. 3 4 5. and by Bulkley p. 29 to 32. It 's affirmed by Mr. Norton Orth. Evan. p. 113. It 's oft asserted by Dr. Owens by Mr. Mead in his Book of Early Obedience p. 72. c. and Sermon for Mr. Rosewell Nay the Author of the Letter grants it p. 24. Reader I shall not now descend to argue this Point only hint to thee that the Parties are distinct the Terms are distinct the Promises are distinct's moreover one hath no Mediator the other hath c. It 's true some worthy Divines formerly speak of these two Covenants as if one which render'd their Notions less plain but yet they did not deny but affirm that there was part of that Covenant to be actually engaged and performed by Man tho' giving Ability was undertaken by Christ in the other part of it and also that as it was promised to him that upon Man's compliance with the Conditions they should be Partakers of the Benefits so 〈◊〉 it was a Promise made to them upon complyance with the Terms Whereas Mr. C. asks me Do not we plead Redemption or the Promise made in Christ Repl. I had said that the Promises of the First Grace were pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party And what 's that to Redemption But can he think that unregenerate men can plead a personal Right to the First Grace And it 's Right that is included in the word pleadable Mr. C. p. 29. Pardon is not promised to Faith and Repentance as things distinct from the Promise but Pardon is promised together with Faith and Repentance to the Sinner c. Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith and Repentance and much more having a causal Influence thereunto than Faith and Repentance of
Act they are such ungodly ones as believing Abram was 5. Their Faith doth not merit Pardon nor is it the Righteousness by which they are pardoned that 's Christ's alone 6. Faith or the first Grace is far from making a Sinner sound or whole before Pardon it makes him sound but as being the Condition upon which Christ's Righteousness will be applied to him for healing but without this applied to the Believer for Pardon he would be miserable notwithstanding Faith 7. Faith is necessary to our Interest in Pardon see cap. 12. 8. This Faith is an effect of the Work of the Spirit on the Heart of a Sinner in effectual Vocation and by Vocation there is a change of the Soul and its prior to Pardon Whom he called them he justified Rom. 8. 30. Lest they should be converted and I should heal them Mat. 13. 15. Act. 26. 18. The Sanctification which follows Justification doth not import that there 's no Calling before nor that begun habitual Holiness is not infused in Vocation But I would ask 1. Q. What kind of Faith is that by which we are justified if there be no Work of the Spirit on the Heart Is it a vital Act before Life Is it the Faith of God's Elect when it proceeds from an unregenerate Heart Is it an Act of an enlighten'd Mind before the Mind be enlighten'd or Can they see Christ before their Eye be opened Is it an Act of the Will before the Will be at all determined by Grace Is it a receiving of Christ while the Heart is yet under an utter aversion to him Is it a renouncing of all for Christ whilst the byass of the Heart is against Christ and for other things above him and against him Do we believe before we are made a willing People Can it be an Effect of Infinite Power and make no change in the principle of our Actings Or can that Principle be and yet have place neither in Understanding or Will It 's true as they describe Faith a man may be Evangelically ungodly and yet believe because it 's a Faith common to the most prophane who perswade themselves all is safe though Destruction is near and this while they hate and reject Christ with their whole Heart How can it be a Faith unfeâ—…gned while Villany and Hypocrisie reign in the Soul Or be adapted to such great Operations whilst in its whole Essence there is nothing which argues the least alteration on the Soul or operation of the Holy Spirit Here 's the Faith of a dead Soul of an unregenerate Soul of an unconverted Soul and by such a Faith we are justified they say But 2. Q. How dare these men pretend to agree with our Orthodox Divines when they are so plain against them Read the Assemblies lesser Catechism Q. What is Effectual Calling A. Effectual Calling is the Work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightening our Minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our Wills he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Iesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel Q. What Benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this Life A. They that are effectually called do in this Life partake of Iustification Adoption Sanctification and the several Benefits which in this Life do either accompany or flow from them Reader is not the Assembly plain that a man is called before he is justified When Justification is a Benefit that the Called and none but they partake of and this Benefit supposeth them effectually called who partake of it let 's next see who are called Is there no change made upon them by effectual Vocation Sure there is and this in order to their embracing Christ which is Believing They are convinced of Sin and Misery their Minds are enlighten'd with the Saving Knowledge of Christ. Their Wills are renewed they are perswaded and enabled to put forth that Act of Faith whereby they embrace Christ. Is here no change Sure it 's a great one in the Understanding and Will too and all this to make a man an Object of Justification And shall these men face us down as if we differ'd from the Assembly Nay do not all our Orthodox plead against the Arminians that there is the infused Habit of Faith before the Act yea and that most Habits are infused at once and included in the vital Principle What heaps of Testimonies could I produce for this Yea is it not our common Principle that Vocation is before Justification Herewith agree the Canons of the Synod of Dort par 1. p. 303. Hooker's Effect Calling p. 344 345. Mr. C. saith p. 123. Hence Justification is set after Vocation and therefore after Faith because Faith is wrought in Vocation Norton p. 260 261 263. Union in order of Nature followeth Vocation p. 291. So also Ball of Cov. p. 334 339. See how Mr. Rutherford exposeth this Error p. 131. and p. 111 112. he sets down this as the Gospel-Order 1. The Sinner dead in Sin a Son of Wrath 2. a Walker after the Errours of this World 3. The Gospel of Free Grace is preached to the Dead the elect Heirs of Wrath c. 4. The Law and Curses of it preached with the Gospel lest they despair to humble them 5. The Sinner legally humbled Rom. 7. 11. with a half hope of Mercy prepared for Christ c. 6. The stony Heart of meer Grace removed in the same moment a new Heart put in him or the Habit of Sanctification put in him 7. In the same moment the Soul believeth in him that justifieth the Ungodly 8. In the same moment God for Christ's sake of meer Grace justifieth the believing Sinner Is not here a new Heart in order of Nature before Faith and that Faith before Justification tho' not in time Mr. C. p. 22. When I had affirmed that in Adam's Law Life was promised to sinless Obedience c. and that Salvation is now impossible by that Law but that God in the Gospel promiseth Blessings on lower Terms viz. unfeigned Faith c. Mr. C. answers To talk of any obedience to that Law besides sinless in respect of that Law in its preceptive part is nonsence for sinful Obedience which you are going to plead for is Disobedience And p. 26. I roundly assert that no Law of God with a Sanction of Life and Death upon performance or non-performance of Obedience doth admit of the least imperfection in the said Obedience He oft speaks in this manner whence I think this is his Principle That God hath not promised any Benefit for Christ's sake upon any terms short of perfect Obedience and sincere Faith Love and Holiness because imperfect are formally downright Disobedience or Sin which is the same Rep. 1. I grant sincere Faith and Holiness be imperfect as to the preceptive part of Adam's Law 2. I grant that nothing imperfect can be a meritorious Righteousness
for which we are justified c. But yet I wonder 1. that any man dare say that God hath promised no beneficial Effects of Christ's Merits upon any Terms short of Perfection tho' not for them as the meriting Cause Ioh. 13. 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Mat. 8. 13 15. If ye forgive c. Mar. 11. 25. If we confess our sins 1 Ioh. 1. 9. He is just to forgive Rom. 10. 9. If confess with thy mouth and believe with thy heart thou shalt be saved What 's Repentance unto Life c It seems the meaning of these words is If thou confess and art sinlesly perfect God will forgive Or else tho' I promise thus yet I mean that it 's all as one whether thou confess or not believe or not repent or not it shall make no difference in thy Interest in the promised Forgiveness 2. It 's as strange that the most sincere Action or Grace is Disobedience or Sin because it is imperfect Iniquity cleaves to them but are they therefore Iniquity Is there no Gospel mitigation so as to admit sincere Grace to be true Grace tho' it be not perfect Grace It seems the Saints have weaker Vices but no Graces their Duties are something less Sins but no obediential Acts their Love is an abated Hatred but not truly Love they are meer Dung only they do not smell so strong Is not this to spit in the Face of the most of the Bible It speaks oft of an inherent Righteousness true Graces real Godliness and good Fruits it praiseth Saints for these but it seems we perswade People only to Disobedience when we call them to believe and they try themselves by their Sins when they try themselves by marks of Sanctification and there 's no specifick difference between the best and worst action they do all is Disobedience and but Disobedience 3. And where 's the strength of what is so roundly affirmed viz. No Law of God with a Sanction admits of the least Imperfection in the said Obedience Then if the Gospel as including Adam's Precepts commands Perfection it cannot forgive any Imperfection if it do not abate the Rule of Duty it cannot confer any degree of its promised Mercy But Sir you confound the extent of the Precept with that degree of Obedience to it which is made the Condition of its promised Benefit May not a humane Law command many things and yet confine its Sanction to one part yea and vary its Threaâ—…s or Promises by many different circumstances in the Offenders or Obeyers Doth he indeed think that whereever God enjoyns Duties he denounceth his Threatning to all degrees of neglect of what he makes a Duty or that it ceaseth to be a Duty at all if the Sanction reach not every degree of omission Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Is not it a Duty here to be baptized Yes sure But shall none be saved if they are not baptized thô they do believe The Sanction then falls not on all the Precept or none of the Unbaptized can be saved The unsoundness of this Principle will appear to thee in most practical Books thou readest and the Orthodox are positive in the contrary What more common than the difference between legal and evangelical Obedience It 's stated by Sedgwick on the Cov. p. 652. Dr. Iacomb Rom. 8. p. 23. Rutherford Ant. p. 8. Davenant on Colos. p. 17. Ames spends a Chapter to prove against Bellarmin that our Good Works are not Sins quoad essentiam Mr. C's Father p. 130. Neither is that Obedience which is required of Believers a strict and exact conformity to the Law as it doth in it self require and demand a legal Obedience but evangelical Obedience which stands in the desire resolution and endeavour to obey God's revealed Will. And p. 222. saith The imperfect Good Works that are done by the Faithful are accounted Righteousness or as Mr. Calvin saith are accounted for Righteousness they being dipped in the Blood of Christ i. e. they are accounted righteous actions and so the Faithful shall be judged according to their Good Works thô not saved for them Dr. Owens p. 72. God hath abolished the Covenant of Works by substituting a new one in the room of it because it could not expiate Sin nor could approve of such an Obedience as poor sanctified Sinners were able to yield unto God for it requires Perfection when the best they can attain to in this Life is only Sincerity c. and in this Covenant God hath provided for the acceptance of sincere tho' imperfect Obedience which the Law had no respect to Mr. C. p. 23. Christ our Redeemer gives Commands and exerts a Kiâ—…gly Power in Government of his Church and hath Iudgment committed to him but these are not the Gospel-Conditions of Life unto Sinners propounded in the Gospel God doth not require Obedience to the Laws of Christ in his Church as foederal Conditions of Eternal Life Such Obedience is part of the Life promised c. Repl. Not to expose the Passages before this as if because the Gospel in a large sence includes all the moral Precepts therefore taken in a strict sence it makes all those Precepts and perfect Obedience to them the Condition of its peculiar Benefits and as if Christ's Law did not bind a person morally impotent and that Men must be first pardoned before they are obliged to submit to Christ and that there is no difference between such a tast of Pardoning Mercy as assures us we shall have Pardon on Gospel-Terms and our actually having that Pardon before those Terms be yielded to At this rate he reasons throughout his Book but I mind greater things than the discovery of his Weakness therefore to his Principle I answer He gives Christ as Redeemer a poor Kingdom it 's a Kingly Power but it 's of a low sort 1. It s extent is small it 's bounded within his Church it seems then he hath no Authority over them that are without no not to command them to be Church-Members I thought tho' he be acknowledged King by his Church yet his Laws bind much farther I am sure he damns others for disobeying him But 2. by these words He is not such a King as can make Laws in his very Church He exerts a Kingly Power in governing of his Church This is distinguished by Mr. C. from giving Commands The sound of this Passage is He gives Commands as an Officer acting not in a proper Legislation 3. Allow what he prescribes to be His Laws in any sence yet there 's no Salvation depends upon obeying them Nothing He requires yea by his Revealed Gospel are any Conditions of Life He came to purchase Salvation but he hath no Authority to enjoyn the Terms of it Whereas I read that for this end he died that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living
have God for their own God which with him the vilest if Elect have their Sins can do them no hurt at all and in that regard there is no cause of fear from any of their Sins that ever they have committed Beloved I conceive this may seem harsh to some Spirits especially to such as misconceive the drift at which I aim which is not to encourage any one unto Sin but to ease the Consciences of the distressed I desire you to resolve with your selves this one thing and I beseech you kick not against the Truth There is not one sin nor all the sins together of any one Believer that can possibly do that Believer any hurt real hurt I mean and therefore he ought not to be afraid of them I will make it appear And goes on for five Pages to prove it Now Reader can this one line make all the rest safe There is no more said by him it 's in a Doctrinal way stated and not in a use to wounded Consciences He oft says it elsewhere without so much as this and he saith this to avoid the Odium not to guide his Discourse and it 's no other than if a man were proving a quarter of an hour â—…o a whole company very apt to drink poysoned Wine if this Poyson be drank it will do no harm to them that drink it but yet should once say I prove this all this while but it 's for the sake of them that have drank the Poyson but not to encourage you to drink the Poyson yet be you all assured that when it 's drank it cannot harm you more than them C. It 's to evince the damning nature of sin is taken away A. But that 's a gross Error thô Pardon will prevent its effects Yet hear D. C's own words p. 511. No you will say no condemnation in Hell but yet as there is remainders of Sin in Gods own People so there will some Evil or other fall upon the commission of Sin Mark c. and in many words answers it Now sin is condemned to the Believer it can do no hurt at all to him for what hurt can that do which is carried into the Land of Forgetfulness and this he oft affirms was when Christ died Reader I 'll tell thee on what Principles Dr. Crisp affirms that Sin can do no hurt Take his words 1. God hath no more to lay to the charge of such a person Elect thô a Murtherer than he hath to lay to the charge of a Saint in Glory p. 364. and the Lord hath not one Sin to charge on an elect person from the first moment of conception to the last moment of Life 2. A man doth sin against God God reckons not his Sin to be his he reckons it to be Christs therefore he cannot reckon it his see p. 270. Except God will be offended where there is no Cause to be offended he will not be offended with a Believer because he doth not find the Sin of the Believer to be the Believer's own Sin but he finds it to be the Sin of Christ p. 15. Now Reader judge how vain Mr. C's Excuses be and how injurious his Censures What Mr. C. p. 15. pleads for Dr. Crisp's saying that Graces and Holiness cannot do us the least good is as vain and false viz. that he is only against setting them in the place of Christ for he reckons they are put in Christ's place thô they be affirmed but as Means or Conditions antecedently necessary by divine appointment to obtain any Blessings for the sake of Christs Merits His Principles are 1. That Faith is not so much as the Instrument by which we are united to Christ or justified p. 616. 2. That Christ brings us all good things when we are ungodly and so it 's in vain to do any thing to obtain these p. 41 42. yea that we had a full Title before we are born 3. He saith p. 45 46. It 's a received Conceit among many that our Obedience is the way to Heaven and thô it be not say they the cause of reigning yet it is via ad regnum the way to the Kingdom But all this Sanctification is not a jot the way of that justified person unto Heaven 4. Salvation is not the End of any good work we do 5. No Believer should have the least thought in his Heart of promoting or advancing himself or any end of his own by doing what he doth Consider these with many such and what good can Faith or Holiness do us See my Book c. 13 14. Read the Preface to Mr. Flavel's Blow at the Root which Mr. Mather subscribed Reader distinguish 1. between the Righteousness for which we are justified and the way of applying it to us 2. between a Law by which Christ's Merits are applied and that Obedience whereto is our meriting Righteousness 3. between the Precepts included in the Gospel taken in a large sence and what are its proper Conditions 4. Free Grace as it gives Faith and Pardon and as it 's a Liberty to condemn the Believer and justifie the Unbeliever 5. between the Promises of Grace and Promises to Grace 6. The Gospel as a means to quicken us and as a Charter of Benefits and thou wilt Answer Mr. C's Arguments FINIS The Reasons of my Sermon at P. H. above a year since Why I printed my Book about six months since Vulgar Objections against my Book answered The History thereof is worth the buying Mr. Parkhurst lately reprinted it Part of the Controversie between Mr. C. and me stated which appears fully in his Principles as in the following Book The Method Election asserted The Law not abrogated Christ's Righteousness the sole meritorious Cause or material Righteousness in Iustification and it is applied to Believers Gospel-Conditions not the Righteousness for which we are justified nor of the same nature as legal Works Gospel-Conditions no way meritorious of Iustification or Salvation nor other workingconditions but a meer conformity to the Gospel way of receiving the Gifts of Christ. A moral specifick difference between true Grace and meer moral Endowments The First Grace absolutely given Christs Righteousness is imputed Iustified by Faith before Works Gospel â—…ons no 〈◊〉 of Iustification Iustification by Faith alone as the 〈◊〉 Receiving Condition All Elect Believers shall persevere Christ not opposed but exâ—…ted Free Grace honour'd and not oppos'd Holiness not compared with Christ nor Works sâ—…t in 〈◊〉 place The 〈◊〉 of the Eleâ—… â—…f God be considered as meer Proprietor The state of fallen Men as GOD is considered a paternal Ruler A plain account of my Iudgment by Questions and Answers Popish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arminian Iustification as our Divines state it Mr. C's first Principle Mr. C's 2d Principle Mr. C's 3d Principle The word Law of Grace same as the Covenant How for a new Law and yet no new Gospel Heb. 11. 4 6. Gen. 4. 7 11. How the Gospel is not a Law How the Gospel is