he conceives him to be in a fit and sutable disposition to receive him and so accounts him worthy of him and therefore we read in the tenth Chapter of St. Matthewes Gospell that when our Saviour sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell that is to say the glad tidings of Justification Sanctification and everlasting Salvation by Jesus Christ he said unto them verse the 11 Into whatsoever City or Towne ye enter enquire who in it is worthy and there abide And if we compare this verse with Luk. 10. 7 8 9. we shall perceive that they and only they were those worthy ones which testified their sight and sence of their owne misery and their desire to receive Christ into their hearts as their only remedy by receiving his Disciples into their houses counting their feet very beautifull for preaching the Gospell of peace and bringing unto them glad tidings of good things these are those poore ones whom our Saviour saith Receive the Gospell Matth. 11. 5. and these are they who mourne under the sight and sence of their owne spirituall wants unto whom he promiseth comfort Mat. 5. 4. and these are they that hunger and thirst for Christs Righteousnesse whom he promiseth to satisfie Matth. 5. 6. Mat. But Sir doe you not thinke that my neighbour Simon hath this fit and sutable disposition wrought in him Min. No I feare not for it doth appeare to me that his owne spirit hath taken occasion from his great knowledge to puffe him up as the Apostles phrase is 1 Cor. 8. 1. yea and it doth appeare to me that it hath taken occasion from his owne righteousnesse to move him to put confidence in himselfe and so he is hindered from seeing and feeling his owne need of Jesus Christ to be made unto him of God wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Mat. But Sir how can such a disposition be said to make him unworthy to be admitted to the Lords Table Min. Why even as we when we see a stout and lusty Begger come to crave an Almes and heare him flourish in his Rhetorique and not speake Pro. 18. 23 with suplications as the wise man saith the poore man doth then we doe conceive he is not in a meet and sutable disposition to have an Almes bestowed upon him and therefore we use to say concerning such a one He is not worthy to have an Almes bestowed upon him Even so when the Lord sees a man proud of his knowledge and confident of his owne righteousnesse and deservings and sees not his need of Jesus Christ and so consequently not to desire him then he lookes upon him as one who is in an unfit and unsutable disposition to receive him and therefore accounts him unworthy of him and therefore we read in the 13. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles that when Paul and Barnabas were in the City of Antioch and preached the glad tidings of the Gospell as the Apostle calls them verse 32. It is said vers 45. that the Jews spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming whereupon Paul and Barnabas waxed bold saith the Text verse 46. and said It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles Thus you see that these Jewes who doubtlesse were very knowing men in all points of their Religion and also very holy and righteous according to the Law yet because they were proud of their owne knowledge and put confidence in their owne righteousnesse and saw no need of salvation by Christ and so were not in a meet sutable dispositian to receive him the Apostles counted them unworthy of him So likewise we read in the 22. Chapter of St. Matthews Gospell that there were some that were invited to a feast which the King made at the marriage of his Sonne and it is said verse 5. That they made light of it as if they had said taking it in the spirituall sence as the meaning is what tell you us of Christ or of Justification or Sanctification or eternall Salvation to be had by beleeving on Christs name we are Abrahams children we are the people of God we are a righteous Nation and therefore sure of eternall life already and have no need of any such offer whereupon the King said verse 8. The wedding is ready but they that were bidden were not worthy whereby you may also perceive that this unmeet and unsutable disposition in not seeing a want of Christ and so not desiring him did render them unworthy of him Sim. Well Sir I see that you are still falling foule upon me surely Sir I thinke it is strange that you should altogether discourage me and altogether incourage him Min. Why truly neighbour Simon it appeareth to me that you have taken occasion from those good gifts and parts which God hath given you to be puffed up and incouraged in your selfe and it doth 〈…〉 me that he hath taken occasion from those weakenesses and wants that are in him to be cast downe and discouraged in himselfe and therefore I have conceived it very needfull that you should know that Christ accepts none for greatnesse of parts that you may not continue lifted up as you have been because of that which is of so little esteem with him and I also see it very needfull to let him know that Christ refuseth none for weakenesse of parts that he may not continue cast downe and dejected for want of that which Christ doth not so much regard wherefore neighbour Mathias I beseech you to consider what hath been said and take it home to your selfe for your comfort and incouragement Mat. But Sir did not you say to our neighbour Alexander that knowledge must of necessity goe before faith Min. Yea I said so indeed Mat. Why then Sir me thinkes our neighbour Simon should have a great measure of faith because he hath a great measure of knowledge and me thinkes I should have little or no faith because you know I have little or no knowledge and then me thinkes he should be very fit to be admitted to the Sacrament and I very unfit for I remember you said That it is faith that maâ—â—s a man fit to receive the Sacrament aright Min. I but you must know that this rule holds not touching the measure of knowledge onely except it be also true and sound so that although our neighbour Simon have never so great a measure of knowledge yet if it be not true and sound as I feare it is not then hath he no true faith and therefore is he not fit to be admitted to the Sacrament and although you have but a very small measure of knowledge yet it being true sound as you know I have proved then have you a true faith and therefore are fit to be admitted to the Sacrament Mat.
diseased soule Now these being the ends for which Christ did institute and ordaine the Sacrament I beseech you let your comming thereunto be to obtaine these ends and doe not you come for forme and custome sake neither yet for your credit sake amongst your neighbours neither yet out of a conceit that your very presence there and your very performance of the outward acts is well pleasing and acceptable to the Lord as I feare me many ignorant people have thought in former times neither yet doe you conceive that for your so doing the Lord is ingaged to forgive you your sinnes and give you eternall life neither yet doe you imagine that the bare outward actions and elements are able to sanctifie you in a word beware of conceiving too highly of the outward acts and outward elements but rather look to the inward invisible matter and vertue of the Sacrament which is Jesus Christ alwayes remembring that he is all in all in every action and in every element and therefore when you are at the Lords Table as I hope you will be very shortly and there see the Bread and Wine separated by consecration unto this holy use and these blessed ends then remember Christ and thinke how he was fore-ordained and Pemble on the Sacraments p. 8 fore-appointed by his Father from everlasting unto the accomplishing of our redemption by his death and blood-sheding and when you see the Bread broken and the Wine poured forth then remember Christ and thinke how he was torne and rent in his precious Body with stripes and wounds and pained even to the death in his most holy Soule full of the wrath of God and the indignation of the Almighty by whom he was smitten for your sinnes and plagued for your transgressions and when the Minister offereth unto you the Bread and Wine then remember Christ and thinke how he is given to you of God freely yea and freely gives himselfe to you if you will receive him and when you receive the Bread and drinke the Wine then remember Christ that living Bread and thinke how he himself hath said Ioh. 6. 5. 5. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drinke indeed and beleeve that thereby hee gives life unto your soule and will preserve it to all eternity in a word consider how God the Father did by this death and bloodshed of his Sonne thus represented in the Sacrament fully answer and satisfie his owne justice to the end he might set open a doore of mercy to all humble penitent hearted sinners yea and doe you thereupon assuredly beleeve that you have thereby tendered unto the Justice of God a full and perfect satisfaction for all your sinnes and that therefore now it is a meet and equall thing with God he having received and accepted this full satisfaction to pardon and forgive you all your sinnes according to his promise Mat. 26. 28. yea doe you beleeve and assuredly perswade your heart that for this satisfaction sake you are reconciled unto God according to his promise Col. 1. 21 22. yea doe you beleeve and assuredly perswade your owne soule that for the obedience and satisfaction sake of Christ you are justified in the sight of God according to his promise Rom. 5. 9. yea and doe you then beleeve and make no doubt of it but that for this satisfaction sake of Jesus Christ you shall be sanctified by his Spirit according to his promise Hebr. 13. 12. and have your heart of stone taken out of your bowels and a heart of flesh given unto you according as it is promised Ezek. 36. 26. and have strength and vigour to all holy performances according to that promise Heb. 13. 20 21. yea doe you beleeve and make no question of it but that for this satisfaction sake of Christ you shall have eternall life according to Christs owne promise Ioh. 6. 51. This you see is the Covenant of promise this is Christs last Will and Testament these are the riches which he hath left and bequeathed to all such as you are this is Christs owne hand and deed and by the Sacrament duly administred and rightly received he sets too his seale and so confirmes it fully wherefore I beseech you when you are at the Sacrament yea as oft as you shall be there present at any time hereafter speake to your faith as Deborah did to her self Iudg. 5. 12. and say Awake awake O my faith and now bestir and rouze thy selfe up to do thine office in receiving Christ now offered in whom all these â— Cor. 1. â—0 promises are Yea and Amen Lift up thine eye to see Christ reach forth thine hand and lay hold on him and receive him set thy mouth to him and feed on him eat and drink Christ by sucking these breasts of consolation and thus would I have you in the act of receiving the Sacrament by Faith to knit your heart unto Christ and throw your selfe into his armes stretched out on the crosse to imbrace you and wash your soule in his Blood that you may be cleane and by Faith apply his Blood to your soule for the healing of all your infirmities say in your heart Hath my Saviour died for my sinnes and shall not I die unto sinne shall I live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. no God forbid and by this meanes ye shall finde your sinnes weakned and the graces of Gods Spirit revived and strengthned yea you shall finde the Sacrament to become a good corasive to eat out your corruptions and as physicke to heale and cure you of all your infirmities yea you shall finde it to be by meanes of the acting of your faith as a Conduit pipe which being set to the Fountaine of grace Christ Jesus shall convey grace from that holy Fountaine Christ into the cisterne of your soule and like a soveraigne medicine you shall finde it to become beneficiall to all the parts of your soule making you apt and ready to every good worke and therefore I beseech you to receive it often Mat. Truly Sir by meanes of these your speeches my judgement is much better informed touching the use and end of the Sacrament and I am hereby much incouraged to approach thereunto but Sir because you doe exhort me to receive it often I would gladly know the reason why we must receive that Sacrament of the Lords Supper often seeing we are to receive the Sacrament of Baptisme but once in all our lives Min. The Reason is because the sacrament of Rogers on the Sacrament p. 360. Baptisme is the sacrament of our Regeneration or new birth and the sacrament of the Lords Supper is the sacrament of our spirituall nourishment and growth and therefore we are to be baptized but once because we are borne but once but we are to receive the sacrament of the LORDS Supper often because that after wee are borne wee stand in need to be often nourished and fed that so we may grow in grace for
pray you Sir let me know who these Professors be and what they doe that so I may know whether I be one of them or no. Min. Why one sort of them of whom I thinke meet to speake first are such as may be truly called Antinomisticall Professors who confound the righteousnesse of Sanctification with the righteousnesse of Justification in making them to be both one for they will have that righteousnesse which is inherent in Christ to be the righteousnesse both of their Justification and of their Sanctification they will have all righteousnesse to be inherent in Christ and no righteousnesse to be inherent in themselves they will have God to impute all righteousnesse unto them but not infuse any righteousnesse into them they will apply a perfect righteousnesse unto themselves by faith when as they have neither faith nor righteousnesse they will have Christ without his Spirit and so indeed have neither Christ nor his Spirit you shall heare these men and women in their conference with others about these points will be ever uttering these or the like speeches As for me truly I have nothing in me that is good but am wholly sinfull neither doe I looke for any thing else to be in me but sinne and yet I doe verily beleeve that I am perfectly righteous in the sight of God through Christ or in Christ being cloathed with a garment of Salvation and covered with a robe of Righteousnesse so that I am all faire and cleane and there is no spot in me These men and women because they are not to looke for any good in themselves as a ground or cause of their faith they will not looke for any good in themselves as an evidence of faith because they are not to looke for inherent righteousnesse before they have by faith apprehended the imputed righteousnesse therefore they will not looke for any inherent righteousnesse at all because they must not looke for inherent righteousnesse to move them to beleeve therefore they will not looke for it to assure them that they have beleeved Sim. Surely Sir these men and women are much mistaken but what doe you thinke is the reason of it Min. Why truly I have thought upon three Reasons of it as first because that they have either by meanes of hearing reading or conference been instructed in the law of faith onely without instruction in the law of workes going before or the Doctrine of the Law of Christs following after or else in the Doctrine of the law of workes and the law of faith without the Doctrine of the Law of Christ My meaning is they have been instructed that they of themselves are altogether unable either to doe or suffer that which the law as it is the covenant of workes requireth and that they are therefore in a damnable condition and that yet notwithstanding if they truly beleeve and so apprehend the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ they shall have life and salvation but they have not been instructed that if they doe truly beleeve then they doe hereupon become subject and obedient to the minde and will of Christ revealed in his Word they have been instructed that he is Jesus a Saviour but they have not been instructed that to whomsoever he is Jesus a Saviour he is also to them Christ a Lord. The second Reason is because they take faith to be nothing else but a meere notion of Christ and his Righteousnesse swimming in their braine or at the best but a meere apprehension thereof in their minds which is but a faith of their own forging so they think they have a strong faith when as indeed they have not the least measure or degree of a true weake faith they thinke they have Christ in their hearts when as indeed he is but in their heads they thinke they have him in their wills and affections when as indeed they have him but onely in their understandings And a third Reason is because they mistake the meaning of the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. where he saith that Christ is made unto us of God both righteousnesse and sanctification for whereas they doe thence conclude that Christs inherent righteousnesse is not onely that righteousnesse whereby a Beleever is justified but also that righteousnesse whereby he is sanctified and that in a Beleever there is no inherent righteousnesse nor sanctification as I have heard some have affirmed the meaning of the Apostle is not so but his meaning is that God hath not onely ordained that Beleevers should be justified by having the righteousnesse which is inherent in Christ imputed unto them but that Christ also should by his Spirit infuse righteousnesse into them and so sanctifie them he having not only by the merit of his Death procured the one but also by the vertue of his Death procured the other and so indeed is made unto them both righteousnesse and sanctification and thus have I shewed you the first sort of those Professors who confound his two-fold righteousnesse and how they doe it Sim. Well Sir I thanke God I am none of this sort and therefore I pray you shew me also who are the second sort and how they doe it Min. Why the second sort are such as are truly called formall or legall Professors who confound the righteousnesse of justification with the righteousnesse of sanctification making them to be both one for they will have that righteousnesse which is inherent in man himselfe or rather those righteous actions which are performed and done by himselfe to be not only that righteousnesse wherby he is sanctified but also that righteousnesse whereby he is justified and hence it is that such men doe labour and endeavour to reforme their lives and their waies and to performe good duties both towards God and man and also to the end they may have a ground to build their faith upon and so farre forth as they can see a righteous disposition in themselves and righteous and religious actions performed by themselves why so farre forth they will beleeve that they are justified in the sight of God and no further Sim. And I pray you Sir shew me also the ground and reason of this their mistake Min. Why truly I have also thought upon three Reasons of this whereof the first is because they either by meanes of hearring reading or conference have been instructed in such a manner in the Law of the ten Commandments as if a man in the time of this life were able to keepe and doe them perfectly and so might be justified in the sight of God by his owne obedience to them and they have not been condemned and killed by the Law in having it made knowne unto them in the purity and perfection of it The second Reason is because they have had little or no instructions in the Doctrine of the Law of faith or Covenant of promise especially betwixt that covenant and the covenant of workes or betwixt the righteousnesse of Justification and the righteousnesse of
Sanctification and therefore being not able to distinguish betwixt them they doe confound them together And a third reason is because man naturally sees no other way to be justified and saved but onely by his own workes and performances for as Luther saith It is the generall opinion of the whole world that righteousnesse is gotten by the workes of the Law and thus have I also shewed you the second sort of them that confound this two-fold righteousnesse and how they doe it Sim. But Sir as I doe conceive he that doth confound this two-fold righteousnesse this latter way doth not so ill nor is not in so bad a condition as he that doth it by the former way Min. Yea indeed for ought I see he doth even every whit as ill and is every whit in as bad a condition as the other for as he that confounds the righteousnesse of Sanctification with the righteousnesse of Justification doth thereby destroy them both to himselfe and so indeed hath neither of them so he that confounds the righteousnesse of Justification with the righteousnesse of Sanctification doth thereby destroy them both to himselfe and so indeed hath neither of them Sim. Indeed Sir it is evident to me that he who hath not the righteousnesse of sanctification hath not the righteousnesse of Justification and so indeed hath neither of them but Sir me thinkes he who hath the righteousnesse of Sanctification should also have the righteousnesse of Justification and so indeed have both of them Min. No you are deceived it is not so for as he that thinkes he beleeves and so hath the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto him for his Justification deceives himselfe except the righteousnesse of the Spirit of Christ be afterwards infused into him for his sanctification even so he that thinkes he leades a godly and righteous course of life and so hath the righteousnesse of the Spirit of Christ infused into him for his sanctification deceives himselfe except the Righteousnesse of Christ hath been before imputed unto him for his justification Sim. Sir I grant it that a man may thinke he doth beleeve when he doth not and therein deceive himselfe because that he cannot see his faith but me thinkes a man should not thinke he lives a godly and righteous course of life when he doth not because that is to be seene Min. O but let me tell you as there is a forme of faith without the power of faith which caused the Apostle to pray for the Thessalonians that God 2 Thess 1. 11. would grant unto them the worke of faith with power even so is there a forme of godlinesse without the power of godlinesse as you may see 2 Tim. 3. 5. And as this forme of faith is nothing else but a faith of a mans owne hammering or of his owne acquiring and so is but an acquired faith and not an infused faith even so this forme of godlinesse is nothing else but a godlinesse of a mans owne hammering or of his owne acquiring gotten by the improvement of his Naturall and Morall abilities and so indeed is but a godlinesse acquired and not a godlinesse infused Sim. Then Sir it seems that a man cannot by having the one be assured that he hath also the other Min. No indeed if he have them not both he hath neither of them for as there is no imputed righteousnesse going before where infused righteousnesse followeth not after so is there no infused righteousnesse following after where imputed righteousnesse hath not gone before so that if either of them be wanting and beare not witnesse to the other and that in its due place according to Gods owne order and as his owne distinct actions they are neither of them true Sim. Then Sir I pray you tell me how a man may know that he hath them both and that they doe beare witnesse either to other and that in their due place according to Gods owne order and as his owne distinct actions Min. Why if a man have truly seene and considered that in regard the Lord did in Adam Create all men righteous and able to yeeld perfect obedience to his Law they having all of them in him transgressed his Law it is a righteous thing with God to require a full satisfaction to be made to his Justice by a perfect obedience to his Law both actively and passively before he doe forgive any mans iniquity or cover any mans sinne and so pronounce him just And that in regard of the infinite exactnesse the glorious purity and absolute perfection of the Law of God he see an utter impossibility in himselfe to yeeld a perfect active obedience unto it and that in regard of that infinite Majesty that is offended there is an infinite suffering required which must either be an eternall punishment or that which is equivolent to eternall And that man being a finit Creature can doe it no way but by an eternall punishment and that therefore he sees no way for himselfe but Hell and Damnation and if then it hath been revealed unto him that Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and of the Virgin Mary was both God and Man in one Person and that therefore his Divine nature did so sanctifie his humane nature and did adde such dignity worth and excellency to it that he was thereby made a person of infinite value and so by his holy and righteous course of life in the dayes of his flesh he fulfilled the Law perfectly and by his Death and Blood-shed made an infinite satisfaction to divine Justice and all this as a Surety and in the place and stead of all those that truly beleeve on his name and if he have thereupon truly beleeved that all this was as truly done and suffered for him as if he himselfe had done and suffered it in his owne Person and that he is thereby justified in the sight of God then may he be sure that the righteousnesse that is inherent in Christ hath been imputed unto him and apprehended by faith and so hath gone before as an Antecedent And if he have thereupon seene considered and felt the great and free love and Rom. 5. 5. favour of God in Christ shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost then given unto him so as that his heart hath been thereby moved yea and constrained to love God 1 John 4. 19. because he hath loved him first and out of love to desire and endeavour to keepe his Commandments so that whereas before this time he either lived a prophane and sinfull course of life or a meere civill honest course of life aiming onely or chiefly at his owne credit and profit in this world or a religious honest course of life onely or chiefly for his owne eternall welfare in the life to come If this grace of God or this free love and favour of Tit. 2. 11 12. God in Christ hath so appeared unto him as that it hath taught him to deny ungodlinesse and worldly
Min. Why the state and condition that you were in at this time so farre as I can perceive was neither better nor worse then the state and condition of a meere civill honest man Sim. Why truly Sir herein you and I doe agree for ever since it pleased the Lord to enlighten me I have thought just so of my selfe and yet whilst I was in that condition I thought my selfe to be in the onely happy condition I meane as touching my soule for I thought that he that came short of me and did not so much as I did not so much as he ought to doe and he that went beyond me and did more then I did more then he need to doe but at last I heard a godly Minister handle these words Mat. 5. 20. For I say unto you that except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdome of heaven Whence he tooke occasion to shew what their righteousnesse was and how farre they went whereby I did perceive that they had gone further then I and that in many things I come short of them whereupon I thought with my selfe if I come short of them that come short of Heaven surely I must either goe further or else I shall never come there Min. And what followed then Sim. Why then I changed my minde yea and my course of life also for whereas before I thought such men as were more zealous and forward in Religion then I was they went too farre and made more adoe then was needfull and were more nice then wise Why now I saw I was deceived for they were the onely men that should enter into the Kingdome of Heaven and thereupon I fell to hearing of Sermons not only on the Sabbath Day but also on the Weeke day and fell to writing after the Minister and to make repitition of the Sermon when I came home and on the Sabbath Day I did ordinarily aske my children and servants what they did remember and whereas before I used to pray in my Family onely every Sabbath Day at night why now I fell to the doing of it both morning and evening every day in the weeke and without a Booke yea and I commanded both my children and servants to learne a Catechisme or two by heart and to tell you the truth I also did learne them my selfe and whereas before I did usually sweare by my faith and troth thinking them to be no Oathes and to tell a lye now and then for advantage thinking that also to be no sinne why now I left those things also and whereas before I had no delight to keepe company with religious honest men why now they were the onely men whose company I desired and thus have I gone on ever since I thanke God and increased more and more both in knowledge and in godly conversation and so that time as I did conceive was the time of my true Conversion or of my Regeneration and new Birth and now Sir I pray you tell me what you thinke of me Min. Why surely you have done well both in turning from being a prophane man to be a civill honest man and in turning from being a civil honest man to be a religious honest man as you terme it but yet you have done ill in resting in either as it appeares you have done in both for as you were kept from religious honesty by resting in civill honesty so are you kept from Christ by resting in religious honesty or rather by resting in rationall and religious formalities Sim. I pray you then Sir tell me what you would have me to doe more for I doe assure you I cannot tell what to doe more then I have already done Min. Why truly I would have you to take off your heart from resting and putting confidence in your owne righteousnesse and rest and put confidence in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for that is the way to have true faith in Christ and to be justified in the sight of God Sim. Why Sir doe you not thinke that I who have led and doe still lead such a just and righteous course of life am already justified in the sight of God Min. Alas neighbour Simon I feare you are of the same opinion touching this point of Justification which I well remember old Master Culverwell who wrot the Treatise of Faith once told me some legall Professours were who using to come to him for resolution in some points would tell him that they could not beleeve their Justification and Salvation because they were so sinfull and ungodly whereupon he would aske them Whether they thought GOD would justifie the godly or the ungodly they would presently answer the godly sure nay would he say You are deceived for the Apostle saith Rom. 4. 5. That God justifieth the ungodly even so if you did conceive that you were a sinfull and ungodly man I am confident you would not beleeve that God hath justified you but because you doe conceive you are a righteous and godly man therefore you thinke that you are already justified Sim. Sir I would pray you to tell me what it is to justifie or wherein doth justification consist Min. The word justifie is in Scripture taken two wayes First it is taken for GODS Act in making of a man just Secondly it is taken for Gods Act in pronouncing of a man just Sim. Well Sir and doth not Gods Act in making of a man just goe before his Act in pronounsing of him just Min. Yea indeed for God being a just and righteous Judge cannot in Justice pronounce any man just till he have first made him so Sim. Then Sir how or what sence can it be said that God justifieth the ungodly Min. Why that saying of the Apostle Rom. 4. 5. That God justifieth the ungodly is to be understood onely of the first Act of God in making of a man just and not also of his second Act in pronouncing of him just Sim. But then Sir doth God make any man just whom he doth not also pronounce just Min. No indeed whomsoever God doth make just he doth also pronounce just Sim. Then Sir why doe you seeme to blame me for being perswaded that God who hath made me just hath also pronounced me just Min. The reason why I blame you is for that you doe imagine with the Papists that God maketh a man just or righteous by infusing of Justice or Righteousnesse into him whereas the truth is God maketh him just or righteous by imputing the righteousnesse of Christ unto him according to the saying of the Apostle Rom. 5. 19. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous or which is all one God maketh a man just or righteous by not imputing sinne unto him but pardoning and forgiving all his sinnes for Christs sake according to the saying of the same Apostle Rom. 4. Verse 6 7 8. Even as David describeth the blessednesse of the man unto
did so it is cleare that you doe put confidence in your owne performances Againe I pray you answer me another question truly and that is Did you ever see so many imperfections and so much rottennesse and corruption as touching the manner and end of performing duties that you have even loathed your selfe and have been wearied and tired in your owne endeavours by reason of the same Sim. No truly Sir I cannot say I have for I have alwaies had great delight in the performance of religious exercises Sim. Then I doe assure you this is another signe that you have rested and put confidence in your owne performances for till a man see and take notice of his wandring and worldly thoughts and of his drowsinesse and heavinesse if not sleepinesse in Prayer and hearing the Word and such like exercises and till he see and take notice of his selfe ends in doing good actions he will rest and put confidence in them and be thereby kept from Christ and beleeve it neighbour Simon before that a man doe take up his rest in Christ the Lord doth discover unto him so much imperfections in his owne performances that he cryes out within himselfe I see now what a vile undone wretch I am I can doe nothing well all that I am is vile and all that I doe is vile I see now that I am indeed poore and blinde and naked and hereupon he is quite tired out and sits down wearie not seeing any hopes of healing the breach betweene God and himselfe and this saith a godly Writer I take to be the meaning of Mat. 11. 28. Yea that labour Mr. Shepheards sound Beleever p. 134. you that are weary in your owne way in seeking rest to your soules by your owne hard labour or workes as the word signifies and are tired out therein and so are now laden indeed with sinne and the heavie pressure of that finding no ease by all that you doe Come to me saith Christ you shall then finde rest unto your soules Againe I pray you let me aske you one question more and that is this Have you not prized the bare performances of duties wonderfully that is Have you not thought when you have prayed so many times in a day and heard so many Sermons in a weeke and turned to all the places of Scripture that the Minister hath coted and folded downe the leafe in your Bible or else writ their Sermons after them and made some repetition thereof to others and the like I say have you not in so doing rested satisfied without looking for a returne of your Prayers or what good you have gained to your owne soule by your hearing and so whether you have met with God in Christ in all these waies and meanes I pray you answer me truly from your heart Sim. Beleeve me Sir I must confesse I have done so Min. Then I beseech you take this as another evident signe of your resting and putting confidence in your owne performances for if a man doe not put confidence therein then he makes use of such performances but onely as a Bridge or Ferry-boat to carry or waft him over to God in Christ and resteth not contented till hee bee brought thither other signes I might lay downe touching this matter but I hope these will be sufficient for you to try your selfe by if the Lord be pleased to make them effectuall to you Sim. Well Sir and suppose that I should thereby finde that I have been guilty of resting and relying upon mine owne duties and performances and should come before you and the Elders and acknowledge the same would you thereupon conclude me to be but a formall legall Professor without true faith in Christ and therefore not fit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Min. Neighbour Simon to the intent you may more clearely see and perceive what we doe when we meet together and also declare it unto others if you see occasion I pray you understand and take notice that if we upon examination finde a man to be wholly ignorant and wholly sinfull as you know I found our neighbour Alexander to be then we doe absolutely conclude that he hath no true faith in Christ and therefore we shut the Gate against him and keepe him from the Sacrament under the notion of an ignorant prophane man and suffer him not to come there whilst he remaines in that condition Yea and though we know a man that he lives honestly and peaceably amongst his neighbours and deales uprightly and justly with all men giving every man his due and for ought we know or can heare is free from all grosse and scandalous sins yet if upon examination we finde him to be grosly ignorant then doe we likewise conclude that he hath no true faith in Christ and so shut the Gate against him also and keepe him from the Sacrament under the notion or a meere civill honest man and suffer him not to come there whilst he remaines in that condition But if upon examination we finde a man to have a competent measure of knowledge especially if it be experimentall of himselfe and neither know nor can upon enquiry heare any thing to the contrary but that he leads both a civill and religious honest course of life though he be accused to be but a formall legall Professor yea and though we upon examination doe finde him not to be so cleare and distinct in his knowledge touching the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell or Covenant of workes and Covenant of Grace as we could wish he were yea and though for want of so cleare a light betwixt Justification and Sanctification as some have he seemes to confound the righteousnesse of justification with the righteousnesse of sanctification yet if he be an humble man shew it by confessing his ignorance and his willingnesse to be better instructed herein then we judge in charity that he hath true faith in Christ and so open the gate of the Sacrament and let him in but if upon examination we finde a man ignorant in these points and yet because of his great measure of knowledge in others though not so necessary points to be knowne he be puffed up and by reason of his righteous course of life be kept back from seeing his need of Christ as it seemes to me you are then are we jealous over 2 Cor. ii 2 him with godly jealousie as the Apostle was over the Corinthians but yet we dare not absolutely conclude that he hath no true faith in Christ and therefore we pray him as I doe now pray you before you come to the Sacrament to command with your owne heart upon your bed as David exhorts Psal 4. 4. and to examine himselfe as you know the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 11. 28. and if he come unto us againe and acknowledge that upon serious examination of himselfe he hath found that that with zealous Paul before his conversion he
hath counted his owne righteousnesse and performancers to be gaine that is to say that he hath hitherto rested and put confidence in them and expected to be justified in the sight of God by them but now with him he counted them losse for Christ and desired to be found in him not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but Phil. 3. 9. that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God through faith then doe wee willingly open the doore and let him in otherwise we send not for him againe and even so are we like to deale by you Sim. Well Sir you have answered me fully and I hope I shall thinke of it but Sir suppose that an Antinomisticall Professor should come before you how would you deale with him Min. Why though a man be accused to be an Antimonian yet if upon examination we finde that he hath a competent measure of knowledge and we neither know nor can heare but that he leades an honest and religious course of life though he seeme to hold that the Law is not to be a rule of life to a Beleever and that God can see no sin in a justified person and that God is neither angry nor doth afflict his people for sinne and that Christs inherent righteousnesse is both the righteousnesse of a Beleevers justification and sanctification yet if we perceive that he doth not peremptorily and obstinately hold and maintaine these points but is rather induced to hold them because such a Minister or such a religious man whom he doth reverence and hath a good opinion of is that judgement and be willing to be instructed in the truth then doe we hope that notwithstanding all this he hath true faith in Christ and therefore doe open the gate to him and let him in but if upon information and examination we finde a man to hold and maintaine these points obstinately and doe either certainely know or heare that his conversion is not such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ then we doe very much suspect him though he have a great measure of knowledge and therefore doe not presently open the gate unto him but pray him to hearken to the truth and consider of it when he commeth home and then if afterwards he come to us againe and acknowledge his errours and professe his griefe and sorrow for the same then doe we willingly open the doore unto him otherwise we send not for him Sim. Well Sir if you be so carefull and so strict whom you doe admit to the Sacrament then me thinkes some in this City yea some in this Parish that I know should come in amongst you and not goe the Independant way as they have a mitde to doe for they tell me that the reason why they have no minde to come in amongst you is because you doe admit such to the Sacrament as are not fit to be admitted and to tell you the truth I my selfe also had some thoughts of going that way onely I resolved to stay and see what your way would be and what you would doe Min. Surely neighbour Simon though I am verily perswaded there be many men and women goe that way who doe truly feare the Lord yet am I jealous that there are divers taken in amongst them that are as unfit and as unmeet to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as any that we have hitherto admitted and therefore I see no reason that any Christian hath to leave us and goe to them for any such cause Sim. I pray you Sir tell me what you thinke of the Independant way for I would faine heare your judgement concerning it Min. Truly neighbour Simon I have neither minde nor time to fall upon any such discourse neither would I advise you to trouble your selfe nor spend your time about any such circumstantiall matters as I doe conceive that is but give rather diligence to make your calling and election sure as the Apostle Peter exhorts us labour to know Jesus Christ and him Crucified and to know your selfe and whether you be in the faith or no. There are too many people that doe spend too much time about such needlesse matters and too many wrangling disputes have been thereby occasioned I wish with all my heart there might be no more and I wish with all my heart that all who are truly godly either amongst them or us had such humble loving hearts as Christians ought to have that we might neither speake nor thinke evill one of another but rather study and endeavour to make up the breaches which are needlesly made betwixt us that so if it were the Lords will we might all speake the same thing and that there might be no divisions amongst us but that we might be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement according to the Apostles exhortation 1 Cor. 1. 10. and that we might with one minde and with one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle exhorts Rom. 15. 6. and so have more neare and sweet communion together in all the Lords holy Ordinances for the edifying and building up one another in our most holy faith and thus you see what my minde and desire is touching these things Sim. Then Sir it seemeth to me that you doe not onely desire that all those that are godly and have a minde to goe the Independant way should come to you and joyne with you in your way but also that all those who are already joyned in the Independant way should returne to you Min. That is my desire indeed and I doubt not but that it would be very well pleasing and acceptable to the Lord if all that are truly godly amongst them whether they be Ministers or people would come in amongst us for truly I can see no warrant they have from the Word of God to separate from us and to gather Churches out of Churches as they doe surely me thinkes if they would but read that learned and moderate Tract called Jus Divinum with an indifferent judgement and moderate spirit without prejudice they should see that our way touching Church-Government commeth as neare the minde and will of Christ as can be found out in his Word But what said a godly judicious and moderate Minister of the Gospell in the Pulpit not long since in my hearing I am perswaded said he and it is not onely my judgement but also the judgement of a grave gody and learned Divine who had long studied the point that there is not to be found in all the whole New Testament a perfect Plat-forme of Church-Government which makes me thinke said he that it is not the mind of Christ that Christians under the New Testament should much busie or trouble themselves about such matters These words as neare as I can remember he uttered and truly I thinke it were well if we were all of his mind that so
and the rest to be admitted Min. Why truly neighbor Simon the best counsell that I can give you is to labour to become truly poore in spirit that is to say labour to see in your selfe a want of all good as of your selfe that so you may see your need or Jesus Christ and to this end I pray you consider that Shepherds â—ound beleever p. 145. as a godly writer saith Not onely some sinne but some good that a man thinkes he hath and resteth in without Christ may as easily prove his ruine because a mans owne righteousnesse rested in doth not onely hide mens sinnes but strengthens them in some sinne by which men perish Trusting in a mans own righteousnes and committing iniquity being couples Ezek. 33. 13. and therfore though you have forsaken all other sinnes yet if you doe still with the Scribes and Pharisees and with zealous Paul before his conversion retaine this sin you undoe your selfe Cast away therefore from you all your transgressions and confidence in your owne righteousnesse amongst the rest and with Paul after his conversion reckon it all but losse for Christ yea and Phil. 3. 8 9 judge it to be dung that you may win Christ and be found in him not having your owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith for God as a Creator Sincere Convert p. 108. saith that godly writer in another place having made a Law will not forgive one sin without the Blood of Christ Nay saith hee further Christs Blood will not do it neither if thou dost joyne never so little that thou hast or dost unto Jesus Christ and makest thy selfe or any of thy duties co-partners in that great work of saving thee Cry out therefore as that blessed Martyr did None but Christ None but Christ yea and as Richel cryed out Give me children or Gen. 30. 1. else Idie even so do you cry out Give me Christ or else I die For as hee that hath the Sonne hath life so he that hath not the Sonne hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 12. But for as much as you of your selfe have no power to do this I beseech you be earnest with God in prayer to make you see and feele your owne sinfulnesse and helplesnesse and so your great need of Jesus Christ who is that mighty one upon whom the Lord hath laid Act. 4. 12. help Psal 89. 19. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby wee must be saved wherefore saith the holy Ghost He Heb. 9. 25. is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them so that you may assure your selfe there is no need of any of your own righteousnesse or performances in the case of Justification or Salvation and therefore I pray you come empty handed to Christ who doth not require you to bring any thing at all to him to enrich him but would have you come poore and then will he inrich you and so shall you be fit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and then if you come in to us when we meet together and make it appeare to us that your heart is so qualified we shall willingly set open the gate to you and let you in and so beseeching the LORD to worke this in you by the power of his owne Spirit I will for this time take my leave of you commiting you to God and to the word of his grace Sim. Sir I could willingly have tarried longer with you but it may be your occasions doe now call you away from mee and therefore I will at this time take my leave of you giving you many thanks for the great pains you have taken with me and I beseech you Sir pray for mee and before long God willing I will make bold to come to you againe for truly I am perswaded I shall never be well till I have further conference with you but no more at this time FINIS