simplicity of the gospel which is that Christ came into the world to save sinners that he by the appointment of God according to the Covenant between him and the Father as our surety performed the whole will of God in that body prepared him to purge away our sins by the sacrifice of himselfe and the principles upon which he acted were out of obedience to the Father and love to sinners to compass the blessed designe of God his glory and our eternall salvation Page 111. He goes about to shew what was the nature of that wrath from God that Christ was capable of undergoing which to make out he defineth the wrath of God thus saith he wrath as God is capable of exercising it consists in that posture of an enemy and face of displeasure wherewith he cloaths and armes himselfe in Christ the Mediator to Angels or men A strange definition of Gods wrath for if it were so that God is not capable of exercising wrath to Angels or men but as he cloaths and armes himselfe to do it through Christ then I say it will follow that God could not have reserved any of the Angels in chaines of darkness to the judgement of the great day nor could not have damned any of the sons and daughters of men if Jesus Christ had not been Mediator surely the Reader will wonder at this notion of the Authors and he doth not say that God doth exercise wrath in Christ or thorough Christ as if he had meant that God was the most provoked to wrath for slighting Christ and neglecting so great salvation and will execute the fiercenesse of his wrath upon those that trample under foot the blood of the Son of God but he saith that God is capable of exercising wrath no other way but as he cloaths and arms himself in the Mediator God is said to be angry and wrath when in his dealings with the creature he walks contrary to him and sets himself against him suppose it be eternal wrath then God dawns that creature and turneth him into hell and doth the Author think that God could not have done thus if Christ had never been a Mediator between God and us could not God have exercised wrath upon all of us that are the fallen sons of men and appointed us our portions in the dark nooks of hell without CHrist had been the Mediator and this Author will make Christ necessary to be the Mediator and Saviour upon this account that else God could not have exercised wrath upon any of the creatures But I pray how could Christ bear the wrath of God if that it be true that the Author saith that God is not capable of exercising wrath but in Christ the Mediator well we unthankful men instead of admiring the Lords free mercy in Christ whereby we are delivered from wrath to come who hath attoned God made peace and reconciled us to God we fall a disputing that God is not capable of exercising wrath but thorough Christ the Mediator but if it had not pleased the God of all grace to have sent his blessed Son to turne away his wrath from us and reconcile us to himself we should have seen to purpose and by lamentable experience that God could exerâ—ise wrath without Christ the Mediator CHAP. III. Shews that the highest attainments of the natural man come very far short of what this Author assignes to him and proves his misinterpreting abundance of Scripture about this matter AS this Author doth exceedingly debase Christ marring his visage who is altogether lovely often saying he had a fleshly mind and fleshly principles which were to be subdued in him so on the other hand he cries up the natural mans attainments far above that which any natural man ever arrives at and indeed takes the most of the Characters of a true Believer and claps them upon a natural man And so page 117. That Christ may be the received Lord and Christ in the heart and give a participation and fellowship with him in spirit by the power and presence of himself there either in his first or second appearance and all along he maketh the receiving of Christ in his first appearance only to be no saving state and yet he saith in this state Christ may be the received Lord and Christ in the heart and give the soul a participation and fellowship with himselfe in spirit But how plainly doth the Holy Ghost confute him John 1.12 That to as many as receive him to them gave he power to become the sons of God and Rom. 8.17 If sons then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Jesus Christ So that wheresoever Christ becomes the received Lord and Christ in the heart eternal salvation at that very time is come to that soul forasmuch as he is made the child of God by faith in Jesus Christ or by receiving Christ which are all one as that 1 John 12. makes plain yea this Author saith that such a soule Christ gives a participation and fellowship with himselfe in spirit but then is not this soul in a safe and saving state for Christ to give a soul fellowship with himself in the fathers love to make him a sharer in his death blood and righteousness and spirit and he that is thus called into fellowship with Jesus Christ is surely in a saving state and by the way I would note this to the Reader that whereas now the Gospel is preached more then in former ages so that many places and poor souls that have sat in darkness see a great deal of light that way and men are told much of Christs being the way the truth and the life and are earnestly pressed and invited to receive Christ that they might have life it 's now one of the devils grand designs to make men believe that men may receive Christ and have fellowship union and communion with him and yet not be in a saveing state but be under the Covenant of works all this while thinking if this doctrine would take it would keep thousands from Christ therefore it concerneth us to way lay his designs and unmask him that transforms himself into an Angel of light that under pretence of carrying us higher would beguile us of the simplicity that is in Christ the sure way of life and salvation by receiving of Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousness and truly for ought I know this Author is the first that ever broacht this doctrine in print that a man might receive Jesus Christ and have fellowship with him in spirit and be made the righteousness of God in him and yet not be in a saving state for the Arminians never had the face to say it was not a saving state if they continued in it Let us examine the Scripture he quotes one is 1 Cor. 10. the beginning of that chap especially the fourth ver that the Jews did all eat of the same spirituall meate that was Manna our fathers did eate Manna in the wilderness that
in notions and opinions as others do in other opinions but we use to count it great uncharitableness to charge all of a judgement with that which some being of that judgement do hold but if all of that judgement were of this mind the Author should be of it for he holdeth universal redemption yet I hope he doth not rest there nor own or reject others as they hold or hold not with him in that point but the Author misrepresents others judgements as well as the udgement of those that are for general redemption Page 199. He tells us those that differ from those that are for general redemption do evidently contradict and deny unto them most clear certain and undeniable truths and all that which they say concerning conditional reprobation freewil falling away and the like as relating to the children of the first Covenant will find that from the Scriptures which will justifie it The Author is very confident and profuse in his accusation of the Anti-Arminians and too highly exalts their opinions that are for universal redemption as if they were the very Gospel calling their opinions most clear certain and undeniable truths but what are their opinions that are most clear and undeniable truths why he saith their opinions of conditional reprobation freewil falling away and the like as relating to the children of the first covenant Let us hear their opinions and first of conditional reprobation The Arminiuns opinion is that there is no absolute and irrevocable but only conditional decree of predestination to damnation or salvation and that the number of the elect and reprobate is not so certain but that is may be diminished or augmented and that the primary cause of the decree of reprobation not of its execution is the praeconsideration and praevision of sin and not the meer will and pleasure of God And is their opinion such a plain and most undeniable truth their doctrine is such that notwithstanding Gods decrees either to life or death there might either none have been saved or none damned And according to their doctrine the grace of election is made voyd for if it were not Gods free will and pleasure that was the primary cause of the reprobates reprobation and non-election but works foreseen then consequently it was not Gods free will and pleasure that was the cause of the elects election but their works foreseen and then fare well that discriminating grace and love of God from all eternity neverthelesse we still make sin the cause of damnation but Gods free pleasure the cause of Gods non-electing and passing men by in his eternal counsels resolving to leave them in their sins and to condemnation for their sins Concerning free will the Arminians hold that there is a sufficient universal grace derived upon all men by which they may believe and be saved if they will And is this most clear and evident in the Scripture no the contrary is evident in the Scripture Isa 53.1 John 6.44 45. John 12.38 39 40. Page 205. He saith that the flesh of Christ may be received and eaten either worthily or unworthily men not distinguishing between Christs living body and his crucified body The Author if he had pleased might in this case have considered of the old distinction of the Martyrs of eating and receiving panem demini and panem dominum of that which is the sign and sacrament and the thing it self no man but the true believer eats of the bread of life the Lord Jesus for hic edere est credere by eating is meant believing but he saith they do not distinguish between Christs living body and crucified body Alas the same body of Jesus Christ that was crucified is a living body for it was impossible for that holy one to see corruption and it is not the meer body of Jesus Christ considered as living or crucified that saveth us as Christ telleth us in that case it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Page 225. He saith Abraham was justified before God by that faith wrought out in Christ his head The Scripture telleth us that by Christs obedience we are made righteous and that we are justified by his blood but no where that we are justified by the faith that is wrought out in Christ we are justified by his righteousness imputed to us not by the faith that Christ had the Author seemeth all along to have many wide mistakes about the righteousness by which we are justified when the Scripture telleth us we are justified by the faith of Christ the meaning is that we are justified by Christ believed in not that we are justified by the faith which he had And so he saith in the same 225. page that faith considered as abiding in Christ and not in us is that which properly justâ—fieth the believer But Christ though in some sense he had faith that is to say he trusted in the father that he would carry him through the work of bearing our sins and that he would so accept of his bearing the chastisement of our peace that he would deliver us from going down to the pit because of the ransome that he paid and believed that he should see his seed that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hands yet he had not such faith as in Scripture is called saving and justifying faith for he was no sinner that he received another for his righteousnes The Author leaving the simplicity of the Gospel runs in vain and unscriptural notions in those things Page 291. He saith that Christs Disciples were called the children of the bride-chamber and yet then had no higher knowledg of him then in his fle shly glory and perfection The place he mâ—aneth is Matth. 9.15 which holdeth forth no such thing but what a forrowing there should be in the Disciples when they were deprived of Christs bodily presence but that was not a depriving of them of that which the Author calleth the first Image but â—â—vay what fleshly glory and perfection was 〈◊〉 Christ that the Disciples should know Christ only in that Alas he had no fleshly glory and perfection his visage was marred more then any of the sons of men Isa 52. never was so glorious a person so obscured as he was insomuch that the people said is not this the Carpenters son his fleshly glory and perfection was so little that those which looked only at that could see no form nor comeliness in him wherefore they should desire him let the Author have better thoughts of the Disciples then that they followed Christ and left all for him only for his fleshly glory and perfection no they saw him with better eyes they saw him to be Jehovah their righteousness the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth Page 300. He maketh this the great sin of those in the first Image that they set up the sons Kingdom in their hearts in competition with and opposition to the fathers View the Scriptures
woman made under the Law he was sent to seeke and to save that which was loft he came to call sinners to repentance he was set forth to be a propitiation for our sins thorough faith in his blood with innumerable places of Scripture to that purpose And we may very well in answer to this Author affirm that God if it had seemed good in his sight could have given eternal life to Adam and preserved him to the Heavenly kingdome in the state wherein he created him but he saith Jesus Christ from the beginning was the right object of faith to Angells and men but I answer that the Lord Jesus could not be so the object of faith to them as he is to us since the fall for before that they were whole and needed not the Physitian could not come to Christ the brazen serpent for healing as those that were stung with the fiery serpents they could not come as lost creatures and weltring in their blood to Christ that they might have life could not apply his blood to cleanse them from sin when as yet they had not sinned nor any guile found in their mouthes but if men instead of admiring the rich and great salvation brought to light through the glorious gospel will curiously pry into the state of the Angells and things which they have not seene vainely puft up with a fleshly minde under the notion of a spiritual mind will be contentious about these things we have noe such custome nor the Churches of God but leave them to flatter themselves in their owne speculations desiring our selves to he found thankfull to God and admirers of his love who when we were Enemies reconciled us unto himself by the blood of his son and desirous to give all diligence to make sure our union and communion with him the Lord our righteousness who when we were lost came to seek us and to save us Page 94. He saith that Jesus Christ was the surety and Mediator of both Testaments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sponsor is one that undertakes to pay anothers debt that Jesus Christ is said to be the surety of the better Testament Hebr. 7.22 which better Testament is the covenat of grace not the covenant of workes and he is surety of no other Testament but that and according to the tenour of that covenant he the surety payes our debts to God the creditor payes that which he never took suffereth for our sins the just for the unjust to bring us to God and so doth the holy Ghost distinguish betweene Moses and Christ John 1.1.7 Telling us the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and Hebr. 8.6 Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant not of the old which is established upon better promises then Do this and live and soe likewise Hebr. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of transgressions under the first testament they which were called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance so the believers under the old testament by this Jesus the Mediator of the new testament being called were justified received the promise possession of the eternal inheritance as well as we to name no more Scriptures where I might abound see Heb. 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling making it a great part of the glory and excellency of the Gospel dispensation above that of the Law that Jesus is the Mediator of this covenant which if they had been of the Authors mind they might have slighted saying that so he was of the other but enough to shew the Authors mistake in this particular Page 69. He saith that Christ had an exercise of a new life set up in him in a way of faith by which he did not onely perform the righteousness and obedience required of man by the Law or first covenant but that also which is required of him by the new and second Covenant Concerning the new life faith as the author calleth it that was set up in Christ the author will give us accasion to speak afterwards for he thinketh Christ had a new birth and regeneration as well as we In the mean while this is not very clear that Christ did performe that righteousness obedience which is required of man by the new second Covenant the gospel or new Covenant calls for Faith in Christ repentance thankfulness mourning for sin I wis the Gospel calls for these things and if the author had said Christ purchased these things for us and all things the gospel or new Covenant calls for so that those for whom he Purchased them shall have them in the appointed time bestowed upon them if he had said thus we should have agreed with him but to say that Christ by a new life and way of faith performed all that the new Covenant or gospells requires will hardly goe downe with us did Christ believe repent mourne for sin and we must note all this while that the author doth not speake this of Christs passive obedience whereby he performed the Fathers will in bâ—aring our sins in his owne body upon the tree but he speakes of it as a part of his active obedience neither doth the dispute come in here whether we are justified by both Christs active and passive obedience but the question here is only of the nature of Christs active obedience whether therein he performed the obedience that the Gospel or new Covenant requires that is did believe in a Saviour repent and mourn for sin I wis Christ was no sinnes that he needed to believe in a Saviour he was no sinner that he needed to mourn for his sins these are things no way suitable to the person of Christ to do but suitable to us who are to believe in him that justifies the ungodly and to loath our selves for our iniquities and abominations but we shall see by and by how he levels the Lord Jesus debases him whom God hath so highly exalted and given him a name above every name and so he saith Page 97. That Christ by bringing his fleshly principles into the cossation and rest required by the law of the new Covenant he attaines the end for which they were at first given him arriving at that most neere and intimate communion with God which onely by faith or the exercise of a newness of life and operation can be attained Now I would faine know what fleshly principles there were in Christ that the law of the new Covenant required to be laid downe and brought into cessation are these words of truth and soberness concerning our blessed redeemer God blessed for ever that he had such fleshly principles in him as the law of the new covenant required should be brought into cessation truely we have other manner of thoughts of
this way though he will not have the soul to be in a saving state here yet saith there are three benefits such a soul hath He saith in that 118. page he saith first They that are thus made receivers of Christ are called out of the world to come out of that Heathenish state wherein men live as without Christ and without God in the world Truly this is a great benefit and surely whosoever is truly called out of the world is in a saving state to be called out of the worlds prophaneness hypocrisie will-worship formality called out of the worlds way in going about to establish their own righteousness and living to themselves and their lusts I think a soul that is thus called out of the world is in a happy condition whatsoever this Author saith for being by Christ called out of the world he shall not be condemned with the world and I am sure Christ John 15.19 makes a mans being of the world to be a natural man and his being not of the world to be a state of true Saintship such as the Disciples themselves had and so if we consider what it is to live without Christ to wit to live without the righteousness the spirit the grace the faith of Christ we may well say that a man that Christ hath truly called out of a state of living thus without him is in a saving state for it must needs follow that he being called out of a state of living with Christ he must needs now have Christ his righteousness his spirit his grace But the Author will grant us that a man may have Christ his righteousness and spirit and yet not be in a saving state For in the same 118. page he cometh to shew a second benefit which those receive from Christ that receive him in the first Covenant he saith Christ is made unto such righteousness in a way of justification and they are made the righteousness of God in him and that he affords such the benefit of his legal righteousness so that the Law hath nothing to say against such and page 119. he saith this justification the world hath in common with true Believers I think this opinion may call this Author father for I think he is the first that ever affirmed I mean one that went for a Christian that to be made the righteousness of God in Christ was not a saving state and truly we may say in this case as he said if I am bereaved I am bereaved if to be made the righteousness of God in Christ doth not save us eternally then we are bereaved indeed and are of all men most miserable and the generation of Gods children the most deceived that ever any were in the world but this Author must not think to carry it thus let us search the Scriptures Philip. 3.5.9 Paul counted all things but dross that he might win Christ and be found in him not having on him his own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith and doth any man think that this was not a saving state and 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not this a certain and unfailing way to bring us to eternal life to be made the righteousness of God in him the Lord our righteousness hath God appointed any other way to justifie sinners and bring them to eternal life and glory then by being made the righteousness of God in him when God out of his rich grace maketh a poor sinner accepted in the beloved righteous in the righteousness of Christ what should hinder his salvation for ever who should lay any thing to such a souls charge to condemn him when God justifies him through Christs righteousness and the Author here confesses that the Law hath nothing to say against such when a soul can truly say by faith as Isaiah 45.24 Though I have sinned and come short of the glory of God yet Christ Jesus was made sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in him and surely in him have I righteousnesse life and strength that soul is in a saving state and shall never come into condemnation but is passed from death to life let all the devils in hell say what they will to the contrary and though these places that I have already named be sufficient to prove that which I am about yet I shall name another that is as full as we can desire Rom. 5.17 For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they that receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ Let us mind this blessed Scripture so full of marrow and fatness to feed our soules If saith the Apostle by one mans offence death reigned by one that is if by the one man Adams offence or his one offence of eating the forbidden fruit death reigned thereby that is we were all brought to death and condemnation that his disobedience being imputed to us we were brought to such misery and condemnation much more they that receive abundance of grace the grace of God which bringeth salvation and of the gift of righteousness that is Christs righteousness to have that imputed to them they shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ that is as certainly as death and condemnation came upon us by Adams disobedience so certainly shall we have salvation and reign in life and glory for ever receiving the gift of Christs righteousness the second Adam and this is more explained in the 21. verse of that Chapter That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign thorough righteousness unto eternal life thorough Jesus Christ our Lord which plainly affirms this that as Adams sin brings eternal death and condemnation so the righteousnesse of Christ brings eternal life and salvation Let us see whether he be not as much mistaken in the third benefit by Christ that men may have and yet not be in a saving state Page 119. he saith The third benefit inseparably accompanying this kind of Christs giving himself by the first Covenant is that which we call sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 consisting in a real and actual change of the heart which lyeth in our conformity to Christs legal righteousness That place 1 Cor. 1.30 saith Christ is made of God unto us sanctification and redemption unto us that is unto us that truly believe in him but he doth not say that he is made so to others what doth he mean by this real and actual change of the heart doth he mean that which is called a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36.26 if so he is out for that onely God giveth to those that are eternally saved and truly methinks that men instead of disputing that the natural man may be sanctified so as
to have new hearts should rather question whether they themselves be so sanctified and their hearts so really and actually changed as to have new hearts and spirits and when we come to examine this very thing we shall finde that it is not such an ordinarie thing to have the heart which by nature is so desperately wicked to be so really and actually changed though the life may be much changed yet the heart may be the same even like a painted Sepulchre beautiful without but within full of dead mens bones but for this he maketh use of 2 Pet. 2.20 of mens escaping the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who yet may be againe intangled in them But doth the Author know no difference between mens hearing of Christs calling for holinesse and departing from iniquity in the preaching of the Gospel that they do now leave their former prophaneness and pollutions hoping to get heaven or make themselves worthy of Christ by this their reformation I say is there no difference between this and the having of the heart really and actually changeed because Herod did many things and heard John Baptist gladly doth it therefore follow that he was so sanctified as to have his heart really and actually changed and purified Acts 15.9 the heart is purified only by true faith in Christ Jesus the life may be reformed by education by convictions of conscience and by a common head and notional knowledg of the Gospel and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ yet I confess in a good sense the hearts of some natural men may be said to be changeed but it must be very warily understood Another place he quotes for this attainment of the matural man is Heb. 6. Those that tasted of the heavenly gift and yet might fall away c. What if these are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened so was Balaam and others that I hope were never justified and sanctified by Christ we do not deny but that the natural man may have illumination what if they are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift and if this heavenly gift be Christ himselfe men may tast of Christ as Cooks do of their sauce which they spit out again men may come to try Religion and tast Christ and not having a pallat that savours the things of the spirit may not like him there is a great difference betweene the unbelievers tasting and the true believers experience what if they are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost that may be said of any man that is any way enlightened by the Holy Ghost and partakers of his common gifts only yea Bezaliel and Aholiab are said to be filled with the Spirit of God when yet it was but to enable them to devise cunning works in gold and in silver and in brasse Exod. 31.3.4 What if they tasted of the good Word of God I question not but a natural man may do so as Herod that heard John Baptist gladly which shewed he was affected with the word and tasted some sweetnesse in it And what if they tasted the powers of the world to come and have often been scared as Felix was Acts 24.25 when Paul reasoned of the Judgement to come Felix trembled and so may other natural men do but doth this Scripture say as the Author doth that they received Christ in their hearts as their Lord and Christ and were made the righteousnesse of God in him this is the thing that we deny any natural man attaines to but we grant they may tast of the heavenly gift and of the powers of the world to come as that place in the 6. Hebr. doth declare Page 134. he saith These in the first Image are righteous workers according to the Law in the most Gospel administration of it but at the bottome are still upon the tenure and account of debt What is the most Gospel like administration of the Law but Christs fulfilling of it for us and taking the Law now into his own hands and prescribing the obedience the Law requires as duty to him the Lord our righteousnesse so that there is a modification of the Law to the fallen estate of man that Christ now doth not propound the Law to us as a Covenant of works that we should seek righteousnesse to justifie us by the works of the Law but he himself is made of God unto us righteousnesse and his blood cleanseth us from all sin and now will have us obey the Law as he exhibits it to us in the way of the Gospel that we should now obey out of love thankfulnesse and obedience to our Redeemer and this is the Gospel and Christs administration of the Law but this Author tells us that all the bottome they are upon the account and tenure of debt and that they are but still under the first Covenant which is a meer contradiction for the obeying of the Law in the most Gospel like administration of it implyes a disclaiming our own righteousnesse and confidence in our owne obedience and obeying it upon Gospel principles even our love and duty to Christ that constraineth us to do his will and what is acceptable in his sight and I would ask the Author whether those that came into his higher image are not to obey the Law and if so surely he will say they must obey it in the most Gospel like administration of it and then the obedience of them both are alike the confounding of Law and Gospel doth a little hang in this Authors light Page 136. He saith This sort of men were incorporated with the true spiritual seed in every one of the seven Churches mentioned Revelations 2. 3. Chapters But I pray were the Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold that said they had need of nothing and knew not they were miserable and poor and blind and naked did this frame of spirit shew them to be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and to be sanctified in Christ Jesus which is the question under debate but do not these things rather shew the contrary and that they had but a name to be thus but were dead and without Christ and Philadelphia which was one of the seven Churches doth the Lord say there were any of that Church that were not in a saving state are any enemies to the Crosse of Christ detected in that Church let the Author read Revel 3.7 to 13. and then let him tell us how he cometh to know that there were such in that Church as were not true Saints and the spiritual seed I am sure he that is holy and true in his message to them saith no such thing findes no such fault with them as he doth with the rest of the Churches but truly whatsoever this Author saith it would have been well if all the members of all those Churches had been such as have Christ to be the Lord their righteousnesse and truly received Christ
man may dye without any experience of it or acknowledg there is any such thing and yet be saved then I hope the Authors principles will teach him to be charitable to us and not unsaint us though we will not acknowledg his higher Image but alas this is only to claw a little with Professors for Page 207. He telleth us that after a man is brought into the first Image unless he yet further abide the trial of fire which is to passe upon him by the spirit of judgment and burning of Christs second appearance he will not long abide in Sion but make God swear in his wrath that he shall never enter into his rest let any intelligent Reader judge how these two places of his book agree together And yet he tells us Page 213. His doctrine is so far from straituing or lesning the number of those that are saved that it discovers how they may be hâ—d out of the observation of visible professors among those they exclude as Heathens and so may seem to be men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit whilst yet they themselves may be either without law or so zealous of the law as to fly in the face of Paul himself for witnessing a higher light then they have yet experience of or can bear We shall not dispute with this Author whither any are offectually called and saved among the heathen who have not the Gospel preached to them we will not limit the holy one of Israel who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy but this we know that faith ordinarily comes by hearing and hearing the word of God preached for it follows how shall they hear without a Preacher Rom. 10. but however this is certain that if they be heathens before effectual calling they are not left so but are justified and sanctified in Christ Jesus and have the faith of Gods elect and they will not fly in the face of Paul himself for witnessing a higher life then the first covenant no but Paul and such as bring glad tidings as the Gospel or new covenant is their very feet will be beautiful to them that a man should have his faith and life in the covenant of grace and fly in the face of Paul for witnessing such a state to be the true state is a contradiction But stall this Authors doctrine if he mean as he saith will force him not to unsaint us though to use his own words we should nâ— in his face for talking of his higher Image which is not more then to fly in Paul face which yet the Author saith a man may do and yet be in the higher Image this is a strange Image indeed that doth so conâ—radict it self And so he saith Page 298. That he doth not deny but many Saints of God may have dyed without the experience or acknowledgment of this higher Image And yet he makes this higher Image to be faith and the new covenant and Gospel but surely that man that doth not acknowledg that the new Covenant Gospel is the onely way of life and salvation and that they only that believe on Christ shall be saved surely they are not yet Believers Thus we have taken a short view of this Authors higher Image and setting aside some obscure expressions of glorification his higher Image is lower then his first Image as may easily appear by what hath been spoken of that before and this is the way of men to take us off where we are but where to fix us next there they are to seek but only the Author tells us it s a higher Image and the glory of the father so the beholding God barefaced and there is spiritual senses but how it is so he leaveth us where he found us and speaks very little of the higher Image through the book And that we may not leave this Chapter in the Authors dark notions about faith and regeneration a few words upon that point least the weak should stagger And here we must take notice that the holy Ghost in Scripture sets out regeneration by divers expressions some of which we shall briefly explain For the most part Regeneration in the new Testament is called faith and believing and that is the receiving of Christ and reliance upon him alone for righteousnesse and salvation this faith works by love Gal. 5.16 purifies the heart Act. 15.9 bringeth spiritual peace and comfort 1 Pet. 1.8 giveth us accesse with confidence to the father Eph. 3.12 Sometimes Regeneration is called the new â—â—eature as 2 Cor. 5 17. if any man be in Christ he is a new creature and that phrase shewes us what a great change is wrought in the soule at Conversion old things passe away and all things become new not only a new head but a new heart a new life for justification a new life for sanctification new light new comforts new defires new affections new ends new aims new strength Sometimes Regeneration is called a new birth as 1 John 3.5 a being born of water and of the spirit to shew us how the Spirit doth sanctifie and purifie the soule at conversion as it is written 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Sometimes Regeneration is called our being in Christ as Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus the believer is in Christ a member in his body a branch in this vine he is in Christ cloathed and wrapt and folded up in the robes of his righteousnesse Sometimes Regeneration is set out by Christs being in us as 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And John 17.23 I in them and thou in me the true believer liveth in Christ and Christ in him Christs being in us shewes his acting quickning strengthening and sanctifying of us and so it is said Rom. 8.18 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin and the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Sometimes regeneration is set out by being under grace as Rom. 8.14 to shew that the true believer doth not seek life in works of righteousnesse which he hath done but freely by grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Again regeneration is set out by our being called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. So 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye are called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. This shews that the true believer is called into fellowship with Jesus Christ in the Fathers love that the Father loveth them as he hath loved him John 17.23 and the true believer is called into fellowship with Jesus Christ in the annovnting of the Spirit though yet Christ is annointed with that oyle of gladness above his fellows Heb. 1. and the true believer is called into fellowship with Jesus Christ
the life of our spirits and therefore blame me not if I sometime speak plain English it s not against his person but against his doctrine The Lord make known his truth more perfectly and establish us in it and grant that all our poor labours may tend to the advancement of it and that we may neither speak nor write nor do any thing against the truth but all for the truth Tetuey the 29th of he Month commonly called March 1656. So prayes the Lords most unprofitable servant MARTIN FINCH CHAP. I. Concerning the first Adam the cause of his Fall and of the Angells the cause of their Fall GOD made man righteous created him in his owne image in respect of certaine divine excellencies and qualities he bestowed upon him placed him in the garden of Eden was pleased to forbid him the eating of the tree of knowledge nor to touch it lest he dye this state of happiness that Adam was in was mutable and uncertain because upon his disobedience he forfeites all his priviledges annexed to his state and God never resolved by his mighty power and over-ruling Spirit to keepe him from disobedience so that he stood a very little while in innocency but by disobeying God in eating of the forbidden fruit fell from his first purity and holyness of minde and openeth a wide doore for sin to enter into the world and death by sin this sin of A-Adam had many aggravations as he said to Naaman the Assirian if the Prophet had bad thee do som great thing wouldest thou not have don it how much more now he bids thee but wash and be clean so Adam if thy Creator that made thee so noble and excellent had required harder service then ever he required of thee wouldest thou or shouldest thou have done it and if he had forbidden thee al the trees of the garden but one shouldest thou not have obeyed him in it how much more when he forbiddeth thee but one tree among so many wouldest thou not forbeare it I might shew if there were need how this sin of Adam was spiritual Idolatry Adultery and ingratitude towards that God that had done so much for him having said this by the way let us examine what this Author saith of Adams state before the fall and how he fell Page 67. He saith that God did not give Adam sufficient grace and strength to doe what he required and commanded but it was Adams weakness to thinke so But I answer then his fall waâ— necessary whether he would or no even like our case that have cause to complaine with Paul Rom. 7. the evill which we would not do that we do for want of strength to resist the motions of sin and temptations to it though it be quite against our will and the desire of our hearts as to the inward man according to which we delight in the Law of God and would noe way offend him but this would lessen the sin of Adam in disobeying Gods commands if he had not power and ability given him by God to do what God required of him this impotency which we are sensible of came by the fall and was not before he and we in him lost that divine excellency and strength which God had bestowed upon him Page 70. He saith that the frame of Spirit and minde that God had in his eye to bring upon Angells and men stands in direct opposition and crosse constitution to what the Angells and Adam had at first Unlesse the Author meanes here that mens having life in the way of their own righteousness their having life by Christ and his righteousnesse stand thus in direct opposition I know not how what he saith is true and if he should mean so he should not have put Angels and men together for the Scripture tells us of no Angels that are justified by Christ blood and made the righteousness of God in him but I thinke this is not his meaning because he doth not say that the way of geting life in one state and another were so differing but he saith the frame of Spirit and minde in the one and the other stand in direct opposition I know the believer in Christs grace is in some things differing from Adams as in closing with Christ by acts of faith and seeing such sinfulness and unworthiness in himselfe which Adams state did not admit of yet neither is this the meaning of the Anthor neither is there such a direct opposition and crosse constitution here such a frame of Spirit is as suitable to the believers state as Adams was to his but surely he meanes that the higher Image which he supposes is the unvailed glory of the Father and this lower image in which Angells and man were made at first stands in direct opposition and crosse constitution now the Author makes the unvailed and original glory to be the witness of the first person in the Trinity and the state of the Angels and of the first Adam to be the witness of the second person in the Trinity and do these stand in such direct opposition and crosse constitution surely the operations of the blessed Trinity stands in the most compleat and perfect harmony that this direct opposition is not in the operations of the persons of the blessed Trinity but in our either mistaken or imperfect knowledge of them Concerning Adams state he saith further Page 54. That on the Seventh day there was to be ministred to him a far higher and more exalted capacity of minde for the enabling him unto an everlasting happy and compleat communion with God The Scripture saith nothing of this that we must reject it as being but mans conceit Adam was already in such a state as he might have enjoyed such happy communion with God as God thought fit to communicate to him while he obeyed him and did his will in what herequired of him such communion as was a high glorious priviledg the Scripture saith not a word of any higher state that God offered himâ— but there is one Scripture that the Author quotes for this 1 Cor. 15.44 45 46 47 48 49. he makes corruptible and mortall to be meant as the state wherein the first Adam was made incorruptible and immortality to be meant of the higher Image which Adam was offered and refused which he calls Christ in the Spirit and Christ in his Heavenly appearances Now that Scripture speakes of the resurrection that we shall be made alive and the corruptible shall put on incorruptability and the mortall immortality yea the the very wicked shall never goe out of being which would be a priviledge and mercy to them but body and soule kept up in being to beare the vengeance oâ— eternall fire and wrath for ever and so the Apostle goeth on to shew the difference betweene our bodies here and in Heaven how Spiritual they shall be there our vile bodies changed into the likeness of Christs glorious bodie as they are now in
mysteries in the 13. Chapter of the first booke of his Institutions saith Quos oblectat speculandio intemperies minime placandos suscipio he would not goe about to please those who delight in speculations so as not to be wise to sobriety no more shal I after this short digression let us examine his doctrine concerning Christ Page 2. He maketh Christ to be the similitude of God that is Immanent and eternally abiding in himselfe and as so is unexposed to any creature discerning and page 3. saith in this communion is one with God and is God this is that which up and downe his booke he calls the higher Image the glory of the Father and the like and yet he saith Page 2. and elsewhere that Christ thus considered is not to be taken for the second person of the Trinity but for the witness that is borne by all three Now promising this that it hath beene the way of those that have broached false doctrine in all ages to hide and cloud their opinions with subtil distinctions I ask first how Christ is God but as he is the second person in the Trinity for he makes him God in this state and yet he saith doth not here consider him as the second person in the Trinity Secondly I ask how any witness of the Trinity is God it is somthing from God but is not God for then we shall make so many Gods as there are witnesses to use the Authors words from the Trinity one Michael Servetus was hammering out such notions about Christ But now our Author makes this higher Image Page 12. to be the personal appearance which all the three persons in the Trinity make in Christ and if so he must make Christ none of the three pervons in the Trinity but only with Servetus som appearance Image and Idea from the Trinity but to what purpose should I follow the Author in these his deepe speculations it suffices us to know that our blessed Redeemer is the fellow of the Lord of hosts God equal with the Father though he was found in fashion as a man and humbled himselfe unto death even the death of the Crosse Page 2. He saith Christ in a second sense is the Image of God that proceeds out of his mouth to tabernacle with the creature in a temporary ministration and he saith Page 4. that this is the witness of the second person of the Trinity Before he had made Christ in that first Image the personal appearance witness of the three persons of the Trinity and now tells us of a second Image wherein Christ is and is the witness but of one of the persons of the Trinity but we take Christ to be the second person in the Trinity and not only some witness from him and image that he exhibits to the creature and the Author makes this the state wherein the world have union and communion with Christ which state he by the operation of the third person in in the Trinity was perswaded to offer up and exchange for the higher Image and yet faith he was in the higher Image first such divers and strange doctrine we meet with in that hooke if he was first in the higher Image how could he offer up the lower Image to get into it The Author quotes for these three Images and witnesses of the Trinity the 1 John 5.7 There are three that beare record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one But I hope that place doth not say it was the witness of the Father to bring forth Christ in one Image and the witness of the word to bring forth Christ into another Image and the holy Ghosts witness to bring him into another but if we mind the eleventh verse of that Chapter we shall see what the record or witness is This is the record that God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Son that God hath chosen and appointed Christ and none other to be the Prince and the Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sinnes neither is there life and salvation in any other and therefore the Apostle v. 10. chargeeth those that believe not this record of God concerning Christ that in him is righteousness and life and will not come to him that they may have life and be saved through him I say he there chargeth such with making God a Lyar by not believing the truth of the Record that the blessed Trinity beare in this behalf and so page 4. he quotes Rev. 1.8 he saith that Christ is there called he that is by way of distinction from himselfe considered as he that was in the witness of the Father and he that is to come in the witness of the holy Ghost This Scripture surely is not a little wrested for the foregoing verse speaketh of Christs second coming behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and I am Alpha and Omega which shewes the eternity of the Son of God which is which was which is to come the Almighty which is now set downe at the right hand of the Majestie on high which was found in fashion as a man and put to death in the flesh is to come the second time without sin to salvation the same Lord Jesus that after he had purged our sins by the sacrifice of himselfe was taken up to Heaven is to come againe Act. 1.11 Jude 14.15 So that this Scripture will no way serve his purpose nor beare his exposition besides his exposition will be very inconsistent with his owne judgment for he thinks Christ is now in the higher Image brought into it by the third person in the Trinity but if by Christ to come should be meant that Image and state Christ should not be yet in it but it were a thing yet to do Let us see whether a third Scripture which he quotes in many places will favour his judgement and that is Eph. 3.9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the world lay hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ This place he supposeth holds forth the first and second Image in which the Trinity brought forth Christ let us therefore consider what is meant by this Mystery which from the beginning of the world lay hid in God and how God created all things in Jesus Christ The Apostle is there treating of the Gentiles being partakers of the promise in Christ by the Gospel and of his being imployed of God to preach among them that unsearchable riches of Christs love righteousness and grace and so to make more evident and plain what is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship or dispensation of the Mystery which from the begining of the world lay hid in God which was that he would by Jesus Christ the seed of the woman break the serpents head and save his Elect among which there were not
Spirituall food the unbeleevers among them eat that food the true Beleevers eate the hidden Manna and lived for ever and it followeth that they all dranke of that Spirituall Rock that followed and that Rock was Christ but what is the meaning of it but that they drank all of the Rock that is Spoken of Exod. 17.9 which Moses smote and water came out that they might all drink which Rock was Christ that is a type of Christ the rock of ages who being for the transgressions of Gods people smitten and bruised by the Father from him cometh living waters springing up to eternal life so that this place holdeth forth this only that all the Jews did drink of the water of that Rock which was a type of Christ and this will not do him any service to make out his judgment Another Scripture he quotes is Jerem. 31.32 That my Covenant they brake though I was an husband to them that is I shewed a great deal of kindness to them and made a way thorough the Red Sea for them leading them thorough the deep as a horse in the wilderness that they should not stumble and notwithstanding all this they soone forgot his works and quickly turned aside out of the right way and walked contrary to him and provoked him with their iniquities and abominations and therefore God speaketh of a better Covenant that he maketh with the spiritual Israel that is to write his Laws in their hearts and put his fear into their hearts which they never had done for them who were the unbelievers among the Jewes neither did they receive Christ into their hearts as Lord and Christ which is the thing in question and Isai 63.8.9 10. which he quotes holds forth the same even the great deliverances that the God of salvations wrought for the children of Israel when he led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arme dividing the water before them to make himself an everlasting name but this place holdeth forth nothing of the Authors doctrine that they had all received Christ into their hearts to be their Lord and Christ Ezek. 16. He quotes often for these things because it s there said that when they lay in their blood God said unto them live and made them perfect through the comeliness put upon them which he saith was the comeliness and righteousness of Christ and yet they and God parted and he became their enemy But let us well weigh the 16. of Ezek. The Lord is there declaring what he had done for the people of Israel when they lay in their blood and as Exod. 1.14 Their lives were made bitter to them with hard bondage and then God heard their groaning and God had respect to them he heard their cry and knew their sorrows and so in this place of Ezekiel the low and helpless condition of the people of Israel is compared to a poor infant newly born but ver 14. God did so much for them that they prospered into a Kingdom they became a great and glorious Nation that the children of Israel were now growne to be like the sand of the Sea shore innumerable so that he saith ver 14. that their renown went forth among the Heathen for their beauty that is that the heathen took notice of their strength and glory and that God had done great things for them so that many of them sought to make league with them for they were perfect through the comeliness that he had put upon them he had given them glory above all the Kingdomes of the earth Statutes and Ordinances Lawes and righteous Judgments he had not dealt so with any Nation as he had done for them Now when we make use of these passages in this Chapter to hold forth regeneration Christs righteousness and such things then we must be careful of not overthrowing the true litteral sense of them and when we take it in a spiritual sense and so understand these things of the body of the Jewes then it is easily detected to be a wresting of the words to say all the Jewes had spititual life by Christ and had his righteousness and comeliness put upon them we have seen the meaning is otherwise but this we must understand that those things that are litterally spoken of the whole body of the Jewes are spiritually only to be applied to the people of God Jewes or Gentiles for many of this people of the Jewes were so far from having such an union with Christ and were so far from such a sanctification which he saith men have by union with Christ in the flesh that they were Idolaters Adulterers and their lives worse then the Heathen and whosoever shall read out this 16 Chap. of Ezek. shall see how wicked and ungodly this Nation of the Jews were They committed spiritual fornication they joyned themselves to idolatrous Nations verse 15. adorned the high places and Temples of their Idols ver 16. God had given them plenty of gold and silver and they made images and idols of it ver 18. and set his oyl and his incense that should have been used about his service used them about their Idols ver 18. and so he goeth on to shew the wickedness of this people and will this Author or any man upon second thoughts think that such men as these have union with Christ and have received him into their hearts as their Lord and Christ and have his comeliness and righteousness put upon them The Author goes on page 118. saith he It is evident then that upon such conditional termes as are comprehended in the tenour of the first Covenant Christ can and doth cause his own reception in the hearts and consciences of men and that there are inseparable benefits attending and accompanying this manner of reception or believing in Christ which is begotten and held but upon the wavering principles of the first Covenant The Author had laid down his judgement and quoted four Scriptures for it and not so much as tells us how he would argue from them which Scriptures we have taken the pains to weigh and finde that they do not prove any thing for his purpose and now without any more to do the Author tells us it is evident truly if he makes it no more evident then he hath don yet he wil fail mightily in his undertaking but what is it he hath made so evident why that Christ can and doth cause men to receive him upon the conditional terms of the first Covenant and what were the conditional terms of the first Covenant but do this and live and doth Christ bring men to believe in him and cast anchor in their storm upon his righteousness and blood upon the terms of the old Covenant Keep the Law and ye shall live no surely but upon the terms of the Covenant of Grace Believe and ye shall live come to Christ and ye shall have life But let us hear what benefits the soul hath that receives Christ in
into their hearts to be their Lord and Christ for then it would have been well with them for ever though this Author makes such a state but the first image and most unwarrantably calls such the devils subjects page 361. Page 151. He saith Those that come into this first image who yet he saith are not in a saving state have by Christ renewed in them the same pure nature for kind wherein man was at first created and in that state are fed and nourished up at Christs own Table eating his flesh and drinking his blood to the growing up into one living body with him Whatsoever this Author saith of the natural mans having the same pure nature for kind that was in Adam at first if we will believe the Scriptures they will tell us the contrary as Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of his heart was onely evil continually where then was the pure nature for kinde that man was at first created in and in the Psalms its said that God looked down from heaven and behold there was none righteous no not one and Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things yea desperately wicked who can know it and Jer. 4.14 Wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved which plainly imports thus much that though there may be a great deal of outward reformation in the natural man yet the hearts of none are truly washed from wickednesse and purified but they shall be saved and 2 Pet. 2.14 the Apostle saith of the false teachers who yet no question made a fair shew that they had eyes full of adultery or of the Whore and could not cease to sin where was the same pure nature in kinde that was in Adam when they could not cease to sin but the Author saith further that these men are nourished up at Christs own Table eating his flesh and drinking his blood but he is sufficiently mistaken for what is it to be nourished up at Christs Table but to be nourished up in faith love holinesse and is the natural man thus nourished up what is this but to be nourished up to eternallife and whereas he saith they eat his flesh and drink his blood I answer then they must needes be saved if we will beleive Christs owne expresse words John 6.54 who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life for though this Author maketh nothing of eating Christs flesh and drinking his blood and maketh it but his first Image in which there is no salvation yet saith Christ in the 55. verse of that chap My flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and least we should beleive such doctrine as this Author bringeth that this is but the first Image or Covenant of works and falleth short of salvation to eate Christs flesh and drink his blood the Lord Jesus maketh a solemne asseveration to evince it he saith in 57. verse As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me shall live by me Thus notably hath Christ confuted this Authors doctrine and left it upon record for a witness against him he saith further that by thus eating of Christs flesh and drinking his blood they grew up into one living body with him and yet by his doctrine in no saving state for all this so that men may be living members of Christ and yet never be saved strange doctrine indeed shall any that are one living body with Christ be damned the Apostle saith Ephe. 5.23 that Christ is the Saviour of the body and I think wee may believe him but he quoteth Luk. 13.25.26 How men shall plead they have eaten and drunk in Christs presence and he hath taught in their streetes but what is this to the purpose did all that sat at table with Christ in the daies of his flesh and eat and drink with him eat his flesh and drink his blood and were all those that heard him teach in their streets made one liveing body with him this would be as strange an inference from this place as those that conclude 7. Sacraments from the five loaves and 2. fishes and alas these were so far from being one living body with Christ that the next verse telleth us that Christ shall say to them I know not where you are and so far from having pure nature of the same kind with Adam that Christ shall say to them Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity What a slurre he casts upon the Godly and Churches of Christ Page 153. calling them the worldly church the incorporated body of visible Saints called out and separated from the world a very cleaver contradicition for if they be called out and separated from the world how are they a worldly church yea and he after confesses they have a manifest selfe-distinguishing proression not onely from all heathenish worship but from corrupt Christian professions and practises but then will I aske this Author how then are they a worldly Church Page 154. He saith that these are a true Church and as Revel 12.1 are cloathed with the Sun yea are the Nursery or womb of all the true Spirituall seede But if they be the true Church of Christ then they are in a saving state and then they are subject to Christ Eph. 5.24 Christ loveth them and hath given himselfe for them v. 25. and presents them to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing holy and without blemish sanctifies and cleanses them by the washing of the water through the word v. 25.29 and surely all this amounts to eternall salvation and to be cloathed with Christ the Son of righteousness Revel 12.1 wrapt up in these beames of light and life holdeth forth salvation fully and I pray how can these be the nursery and wombe of all the spirituall seede and yet not be the spirituall seede themselves he maketh these but flesh in their highest attainements and John 3.6 that which is born of the flesh is flesh and no better he maketh them but the Law and the Covenant of workes and doth he think the Law and its righteousness is the nursery and wombe of all the spirituall seed the Apostle will teach us another lesson Gal. 3.2 where he asketh the Galatians such a question received ye the spirit by the hearing of the Law or by the preaching faith was the Law or first Covenant the nursery or wombe which brought forth the Spirit in you surely no but the hearing of faith and so Gala. 4.23 he who was of the bond-woman was after the flesh but he that was of the freewas by promise the bondwoman and all that are her children are in bondage Now this Author counts this Church and this state that we are treating on to be but the bondwoman the Law and yet
saith too that Christ himselfe is made their head and covering as to their justification they are made righteous not in themselves but in another even through the Mediatorship of the man Christ Jesus as their Head in whose natural righteousnesse and perfection they stand blamelesse before God Here is Christs righteousnesse imputed for justification and Christs righteousnesse imparted for our sanctification and yet the Author would make us believe all this is not a saving state but I wis the writing of Gods Laws in our hearts is a peculiar benefit of the new Covenant of grace Jer. 31. but he maketh it to be given as a benefit by the renewal of the old Covenant again by Christ and ô how dishonorable is this to Christ the Lord of life that men may have him for their head and covering for their justification and yet not be in a saving state but what saith the Scripture Rom. 8.30 Those whom the Lord justifieth them he also glorifies then which what can be plainer to prove that such as are justified by Christ are in a saving state for the text tells us such shall be glorified let this Author say what he will to the contrary that this is but the first image and Christ in the flesh the sure word of the Gospel tells us that those whom the Lord justifies shall certainly be glorified brought to heaven inherit eternal life and whereas he saith Christ is made their covering for justification then I say they must needs be in a sure and saving state Psal 32.12 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are pardoned and whose sinnes are covered by the robes of Christs righteousnesse such can never come into condemnation God seeth no iniquity in such with a judicial eye to take vengeance and damn them for it for Christ covereth their sins in that respect that in that sense God seeth no iniquity in Jacob nor no transgression in Israel but only seeth the sins of such with the eye of a Father which is well for them to reclaim them better them and heal their backslidings as Isaiah 57.18 We see the Author makes no bones of counting Christs righteousnesse invalid for justification and yet sufficiently contradicting himself saith that this righteousnesse of Christs makes us to stand blamelesse before God but then are not such in a saving state if we be blamelesse by Christ before God then I may ask this Author as Rom. 8.33.34 who shall lay any thing to their charge who shall condemne them seeing God Justifies them and the Author confesses they stand blamelesse before him Page 193. He saith these are represented in Pauls owne person Rom 7. as having that workmanship set up in their hearts and mindes which stands in an exact conformity to the Law or image of Christs natural righteousness but in the next page he saith they find by experience no good thing dwelling in their flesh that is abiding and of a continual residence with them being in such a wavering condition that whilest with their minde they serve the Law of God they are ready with their flesh to serve the Law of sin and the good they would doe that they doe not and the evill which they would not doe that they doe But stay first the Author is mistaken in this that he thinketh the true saints that shall inherit eternall life are not represented by Pauls own person that which is there said in that 7. of Rom. was true of Paul and then surely as true of other saints and this Author goeth about here to make Paul but in the first image for Paul saith all that of himself and the Author thinketh this was but the first image and calls this a being under the Law alas he that mindes the 9.10.11 verses of that Chap. will see that Paul and the persons represented in him were of from the Law for life for he saith the Law â—â—ew him he found that to be but death well but why must this be but a man in the first image and out of a saving state why the Author saith that these have no good thing dwelling in their flesh that is faith he abiding and of a continuall residence with them but hold a little that is not the meaning of it for in us that is in our flesh is nothing spiritually good not only that there is nothing that doth abide and continue but there is nothing at all good in us by nature in me that is in my flesh that is as I am naturall and as considered without the grace and spirit of God so I have no good thing dwelling in me and so it is with every saint of God that they may all say as he said Horreo quicquid de meo est I abhominate what is of my self or with Paul in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing I have no good in me no good thoughts desires inclinations but as God worketh in me to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure but I pray let the Author shew us any thing to the contrary but that a man in his higher image may not have cause to say and confesse as much that in them that is in their flesh dwells no good thing in a word there doth not onely no good thing abide and continue in our hearts by nature but it was never there to be found but we are transgressors from the wombe Well he saith further as v. 25. that whilest with their minde they serve the law of God they are ready with their flesh to serve the law of sin and I pray who is not so Paul there saith it was so with him and we are content to acknowledge it is so with us though the Author for it say we are but in the first Image we confesse we are fleâ—h and spirit and the flesh in us rebelleth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and while we with our minds and hearts desire to serve the law of God and doe his will the flesh in us draweth another way this enemy in our owne bosomes the flesh and law of our members is often too hard for us and brings us into captivity this is our burthen our gall and wormwood in this world and makes us cry out often with Paul ver 24. O wretched man that we are and with Isaiah we are uncleane we are uncleane and yet for all this we know that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin and the spirit of Christ will sanctifie us wholly and cast all our sinnes into the depths of the Sea and the time will come when we shall sin no more and all things in us shall be made subject to Christ though we see not yet all things made subject unto Christ yet having faith in Christ the work is doing and we shall be purified one day even as he is pure and our sanctification shall be as compleat and perfect hereafter as our justification is here the remainders of corruption are
Christ and lose it the notionall and historicall faith and beliefe of the Gospel may be lost and men may sin away such inlightnings and convictions of the spirit but such faith as truly receives Christ into the heart and unites us unto him in the greatest stormes will not be shipwrackt and that man having this faith and hope in Christ hath an Anchor for his soule both sure and stedfast Heb. 6. ult this faith swims in the sea of Christs blood in the Ocean of free grace where it cannot suffer shipwrack Page 221. 222. He saith concerning Abrahams calling that his first remove was out of the state of degenerate nature and his heathenish life into circumcision or experience of that commumon with God which is by the first Covenant which he made use of but as an Iun in his passage to the higher state If the Author had consulted with the fourth Rom. he would have bloted out this passage for in that Chap. the Apostle haveing spoken of justification Gods imputing righteousness without workes and remembering their sins no more he telleth us in the 9.10.11.12 verses that before ever Abraham received the signe of circumcision he was thus justified and therefore had true saving faith He received circumcision a seâ—l of the righteousness of faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also and the Author is mistaken to think that circumcision was a seale of the Covenant of workes for it was a seale of the righteousness of the new covenant which Abraham had believed in before Page 318. He saith these under the first image wherein yet there is not eternall life are planted into Christ as branches in the vine and good olive tree and so rendred righteous in the righteousness of their head and root That place John 15.1 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away the learned very well and according to the originall read thus Every branch that beareth not fruit in me is taken away and so the meaning is that though men beare never so much fruit by their husband the law yet all these children are but bastards unlesse they be married to Christ the true husband and though such may go for true saints yet they are not and doth not at all hold forth that any man may be truly in Christ and yet not be in a saving state which will be more evident if we compare this place with Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle saith That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus to them that are truly in Christ planted into him to such there is no condemnation but they are passed from death to life and this Author confesses that these men are rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ their head and root and if so what hinders their eternall salvation will not Christs righteousness justifie them and save them for ever we are content to leave it upon that issue and venture our soules upon that score that if our being rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ our head and root will not bring us to Heaven we are willing to miscarry for ever but we know assuredly that his righteousnesse will justifie us for ever and save us to the utmost that come to God by him In that Page 318. He saith these go about to establish their owne righteousness not submiting to the righteousness of God But hath not the Author often said that these men in the first image seek acceptance with God onely by the righteousness of Christ and in this same page saith they are rendred righteous in the righteousness of Christ their head and if so how do they go about to establish their owne righteousness but the mystery lieth in the Authors understanding of the righteousness of God distinguishing betweene the righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of God but it s the righteousness of Christ that the Scripture calls the righteousness of God and we have shewed before why the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of God not as if the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified was the eternall righteousness of the Godhead as Osiander dreamed which is not communicable unto us but whatsoever the Author saith here of men in the first image that they will not submit to the righteousness of God yet page 118. he saith they are made the righteousness of God in Christ Page 320. He saith these are begotten againe into Gods own likness wherein man was created at first and have the visible characters thereof shining forth in it not written with inke and on tables of stone but with the spirit of the liveing God and on the fleshly tables of the heart shewing it selfe a right change and a reall heart work above and beyond all that is accounted civility and morality and above all notion and spirituality that is but head work and fancy and the tempter perswades them to rest here and praise and blesse Gods word and makes them say its good for us to be here especially if we be upon the Mount and brought hither by Christ himself It being supposed what the Author confesses that these look for acceptance with God onely in the beloved this is a blessed state and all they that are brought into it are taught of God and not by the devill as the Author imagines to blesse Gods word and be thankfull for this rich grace and say its good for us to be here whither should we go we are with him that hath alone the words of eternal life we are with him that justifies us sanctifies us stays us with flaggons comforts us with apples quickens us influences us with his spirit kisses us with the kisses of his mouth whose love is better then wine guides us by his counsell and afterwards brings us to his glory surely we may blesse the word of the Lord and magnifie his grace and say its good to be here and blesse the Lord that he brought us to this blessed state and for sanctification who are partakers of it as the Author here describes it but the true believers its they onely that put on the new man which after the image of God is created in righteousnesse and true holiness 〈…〉 3.3 rejoyced in such as the Epistle of Christ whose hearts were so written on by the spirit of the living God and Hebr. 8.10 it s made a speciall blessing of the new Covenant of grace I will put my lawes into their minde and write them in their hearts such have God to be their God in Covenant for ever and they his people for ever and though the heart of a naturall man may in some sort be swept and garnished yet not thus written on by the spirit of God as the Author saith Page 325. He saith That these in the first image have their consciences purged from dead
in his death and sufferings that he partakes of the benefit of that bloody sacrifice such a fellowship and share he hath in Christs sufferings that what Christ did in suffering for his sins is imputed to him by an act of the free arace of the Pather as if he himselfe had done it Again the believer is called into fellowship with Jesus in persecution that he suffers with him is despised with him and thus as the Apostle saith As Christ was so are we in this present World without form or comeliness of no reputation in the worlds account Sometimes Regeneration is set out by a planting into the likeness of Christs death Rom. 6.5 10 11. Christ in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God and we are planted into the likenesse of his death when as v. 11. we likewise are dead indeed unto sin and live unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord that as it follows v. 12. sin doth not reign in our mortal bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Again sometimes Regeneration is set out by putting on the Lord Jâ—sus Christ as Rom. 13.14 Then it shewes how the true believer puts on the rigteousnesse of the Lord Jesus is willing to be uncloathed of the menstruous rags of his own righteousnesse that he may be cloathed upon with the righteousnesse of Christ Sometimes also it is set out in Scripture by comming unto Christ and taking his yoke upon us as Matth. 11. ult to shew us how the true believer is submitted and given up to Christ is his servant is under his voke under his rule and government is willing to be ruled and governed and commanded by Christ whose commandements are not grievous Sometimes Regeneration is set out by fleeing for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before as in the Gospel so Heb. 6.18 to shew us that the true believer seeth his lost estate without Christ and fleeth unto Christ as a City of refuge from the Avenger of blood and whereas there is mercy and life and pardon and righteousnesse tendred to sinners in the Gospel and open proclamation that whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely and sorgivenesse of sins grace and glory is preached in Christs name this soule hath laid hold upon this hope set before him accepted of this grace accepted of these terms of mercy and peaee and so layes down armes against Christ True Regeneration is a difficult thing and therefore there is great need of the Seal of the Spirit to satisfie us about the work of grace upon our hearts for there is a counterfeit faith and a counterfeit repentance there is both an acquired faith and an infused faith there is a believing that is only a work of a mans understanding and not the work of the Spirit Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth to righteousnesse It is not enough to assent with the understanding it s a marvellous difficult thing to find out the difference between that faith that is of a mans own making upon conviction and illumination and that faith that is wrought by the spirit of God by way of creation and infusion and therefore thousands in the world are everlastingly cheated and cousened in this matter But when a man comes to be outed of himself of self-righteousnesse and self-strength and self-wisedome and close with Christ in a word of grace in a free promise that is the work To rest in legal conviction to rest upon duties and qualifications to rest in amendment of life to rest in Notions and head-knowledge of Christ and free grace these are false rests but for the soul to be nothing and utterly lost in himselfe and to apply the blood and righteousness of Christ is a safe and saving state for this is the will of the Father that sent him That whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life CHAP. V. Treats of Justification and shews that whosoever is justified by Christs blood and made the righteousnesse of God in him is in a sasing state and shall never come into condemation THe Doctrine of Justification was well called by Luther the Doctrine of the standing or falling of the Church of God this Doctrine so necessary so precious hath this Author miserably mistaken Page 118. He tels us that men in his first image who are not yet in a sasing state have Christ for their righteousnesse in a way of Justification and page 119. tells us this Righteousnesse and Justification the world hath in common with true Believers This Doctrine of his is most dangerous and is most highly dishonourable unto Christ making the blood of the Covenant a common and vain thing that men may be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and yet not be in a saving state which this Author doth in so many words affirm in that page before mentioned therefore let us treat a little of this blessed doctrine of Justification Justification is to be considered either as an immanent or a transient act in God in the first consideration it is a gracious purpose in God from all eternity not to deal with the Elect according to their sins but to absolve them and forgive them all their trespasses Justification considered as a transient act is Gods justifying and absolving the poor sinner in his own conscience and actually imputing Christs righteousnesse to him when he believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly none but those that are eternally saâ—ed are thus justified for men are not justified and unjustified again as this Author fancies Christ hath taken away the curse of the law from them Gal. 3.13 Now as 1 Cor. 15.46 The strength of sin is the Law the strength and power that sin hath to cast any man into hell is from the Law that the Law is broken and the Law is not satisfied but now Christ having for any man taken away the curse of the Law sinne hath no power to condemn that man it hath no strength and power to doe it for it hath its power from the Law and Christ hath satisfied that and is become the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 Who can lay any thing to the charge of those that are thus justified by Christ the Law cannot for Christ hath satisfied the Law and paid it the uttermost farthing yea God through the righteousnesse of Christ is a just God in being a Saviour of them that believe in Christ Christ the surety of the better Testament having paid the debt God is just in being the justifier of him that in Jesus Rom. 3.26 Just to deliver them from going down to the pit for whom Christ hath paid a ransome And so Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the blood of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life by hum living and reigning in
God unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in a strong guard or garrison that the Devil can never take as he did Adams state by craft when the serpent beguiled Eve yea when Satan desires to have us that he may winnow us as wheat Christ prayes for us that our faith faile not but he that hath begun his good work in us to have our faith and hope in Christ will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ the righteousness of Christ is imputed to no man but by an act of the free grace of the Father and being so freely imputed its continuance is certain and for ever God by his mighty power keeps them from drawing back to perdition keeps them in a way of believing and preserves them to the heavenly Kingdome eternal life is freely given them by Christ and therefore they shall never perish neither shall any man be able to pluck thâ—â— out of his hands John 10.27 28. CHAP. VI. Treats more particularly of the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace and the difference between them THe Author to make his Doctrine more taking up and down his Book would perswade the Reader that those that he saith are called Orthodox doe but seek their life and righteousnesse from the Covenant of Works and that we may be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and yet be but under the covenant of works This we have touched before and here by the grace of God shall more particularly treat of First then Let us consider what the Law and Covenant of Works is It calls for full and perfect obedience on our part with promise on Gods part to give life thereupon and threatning death and damnation to him that disobeyes that the soule that sinneth it shall dye as Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to doe it which shewes us how the Law curses and condemnes all that are under it upon the least transgression and disobedience and therefore as the Apostle saith here being we have all sinned as many of us as are under the Law and not under grace are under the curse and if under the curse of the law then its false that the Author saith in many places of his Book that a man may have Christ made righteousnesse to him in a way of justification and yet be but under the law and covenant of works for a man cannot at the same time be both justified and be under the curse and we see whoever is under the covenant of works is under the curse and so consequently it is a mistake that the Author holds that such have Christ made righteousnesse to them in a way of justification According to the law and covenant of works the least sin damnes a man one vaine thought one idle word brings the vengeance of eternal fire every disobedience receiveth such a just recompence of reward therefore saith the Scripture Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no transgression no man under the covenant of works can be justified as this Author imagines for the law and covenant of works worketh wrath sets justice against us and makes all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 No man is absolved under the covenant of works and hath remission of sins but all become guilty before God Hence also 2 Cor. 3. 6,9 the covenant of works is said to kill the Gospel only to make alive the covenant of works to be the ministration of condemnation the covenant of grace to be the ministration of righteousnesse and so Rom. 7.8 Without the law sin is dead hath no power to condemn us for the strength of sin is the law and Paul ver 11. saith by it to wit the law sin slew him Adam was the primus faederatus in the covenant of works the Lord Jesus the second Adam in the covenant of grace The first Adam was a common person in that covenant of works and stood in the room of all mankind he Broke the conditions of that covenant and there can be no renewal of that covenant of works no coming to life that way that covenant is broken and so all the world become guilty before God there is no receiving of Christ upon the terms of this covenant of works as this Author saies page 118. and in many other places and in the same page saith that we are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ upon the tenour of that covenant for we have seen that by the covenant of works we stand upon our own obedience not upon Christs we have our life in our own righteousnesse not in Christs it is by the Gospel the covenant of grace that any man comes to have Jesus Christ made of God unto him wisedom righteousness sanctification and redemption which Covenant of grace comes next to be explained This Covenant of grace whereof we now speak was made principally with Christ as the common person representing all the elect as the Covenant of works was made with Adam a common person representing all mankind and Christ Jesus is said Isa 49.8 to be given for a Covenant to the people the father and Christ having struck hands in that Covenant of grace and peace between them both Now this Covenant of grace is a blessed compact and agreement between the father and Christ Jesus that Christs soul should be made an offering for our sins that he should purge away our sins by the sacrifice of himself reconcile us to God by the blood of his Crosse and that God would be our God remember our sins no more accept us in him the beloved justifie us sanctifie us bestow upon us grace and glory and blesse us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him this is that which we count to be the Covenant of grace and let this Author if he can shew that this is but the Covenant of works Our standing in the Covenant of works depended upon Adams obedience while he stood we stood when he fell we fell our standing in the Covenant of grace depends upon Christ that while he is righteous we are righteous that are found in him and so Christ tells us John 14.19 because I live ye shall live also he hath performed that commandement that he received of the father to lay down his life for his sheep and so God is reconciled for ever in the volumn of Gods book it is written of Christ that he should thus do the will of God in bedring the chastisement of our peace in the body prepared for him Heb. 10 Christ according to his agreement and Covenant with the father to purchase eternal life grace and glory for those whom he had given him did bear our sins in his own body upon the tree was delivered for our offences and rose again for our
by him in his own person imputed to him as he saith but now the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace are so differing as we have already discovered that its impossible that a man can be justified upon the terms and tenour of the Covenant of grace and works too for what saith the Scripture Rom. 11.6 If it be by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work and to be justified by faith and to be justified by the Law and upon the tenour of the Covenant of works are everywhere in the Scripture rendered inconsistent I say not this as if I owned the Authors judgement in that particular as if what he calls being justified upon the tenour of the first Covenant were so indeed for there is no such thing but whosoever is justified by Christ is justified upon the terms of the Covenant of grace but to shew how the Author maketh a linsey-woosley businesse of it and falls into that mistake according to the tenour of his judgment that he would impose upon us to wit our looking for justification by the Covevenant of works whereas we look for our justification only upon the terms and tenour of the Covenant of grace and think the justification of the new Covenant so entire and perfect that we look for no justification upon the tenour of the Covenant of works to compleat it for as Paul told the Galatians if they were but circumcised to wit with a conceit to adde that to the righteousness of the new Covenant for their justification Christ should profit them nothing no though this Author insinuates that those that are called Orthodox are ignorant of the way of justification by the Covenant of grace yet they are not to seek for the knowledge of it nor do not distract mens faith as this Author doth to send them first to Christ for a justification upon the tearms and tenour of the Covenant of works and when they have got that to see that they are not safe there but then they must get a justification according to the Covenant of grace no they do not go about the bush thus but hold forth Christs righteousness and the Covenant of grace and mercy directing men to apply the blood of sprinkling to receive Christ to be their Priest to save them their King to rule them and their Prophet to teach them and then they have an Ancre for their soules both sure and stedfast CHAP. VII Takes a general View of the Authors Book HAving already particularly singled out some of the Authors Doctrine and examined it under several Chapters I shall now give the Reader a more miscellanious and general view of this Authors Doctrine And here we shall not oppose all that might be opposed but keep to the end which I propounded to my selfe to wit to deal with those passages in the Book that obscure the Gospel and are most likely to mislead or stumble-the unwary Reader Page 83. He saith Cain and Abel were both for a while worshippers and servants of God approaching to him by Sacrifice in testimony of their coming and relying upon the blood of Christ Cain without faith only by a life derived from Christ as he is head of the natural man and he hated Abel because he was in the higher Image But what Scripture saith Cain was a servant of God or had such a life from Christ as the Author speaks of though he offered sacrifice as well as Abel yet every one that offereth sacrifice is not presently the servant of God what though Cains mother said she had gotten a man from the Lord of him are all things that any mother may say in a sense of the wickedest child and though he offered sacrifice yet it doth not follow as the Author saith that he relyed upon the blood of Christ a man may doe a hundred times more then that and yet never rely upon the blood of Christ and if Cain did hate his brother Abel because he had true faith in Christ and so offered up a more acceptable sacrifice then he yet it doth not therefore follow that as the Author saith he was the servant of God and relyed upon the blood of Christ and was in the first image but rather the contrary that he was not thus for if he had owned and relyed upon the blood of Christ his sacrifice would have been accepted as well as Abels for it was by faith and relyance upon Christs blood that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain Page 175. He saith Christ brings us to eternal glory the same way he came to it himself who was made perfect by sufferings But we are brought to eternal glory by the righteousnesse of another imputed to us but so was not Christ we are brought to glory by Christs sufferings not by our own let us have a care of Sâ—â—â—ianism Page 175. He saith that every man may keep himself from such high provocations for which God swears in his wrath they shall never enter into his rest God can keep men from such high provocations and wilful resistance of him and his wayes but man cannot keep himselfe God can do it by his restraining grace but man cannot The way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps without Christ we can doe nothing and therefore David prayed that God would incline his heart to his testimonies and not to covetousnesse the very inclination of the heart in man to the wayes of the Lord is from the Lord not from our selves Truly I think even those that are Saints if the Lord had left them to themselves would have fallen into those high provocations and wilfull resistance and refusal of Christ which is the main thing for which he swears in his wrath that we shall not enter into his rest If Saints and such Saints as Noah David Peter and Solomon when left to themselves did fall so shamefully then what power is there in other men to keep themselves from the greatest sins David one of them saith Psal 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee These Saints that fell as they did would have backslided and revolted more even into all evil were it not that God kept them by his mighty power and plucked them as firebrands out of the fire let us not think every man hath power to keep himselfe from such high provocations and wilfull resistance of Christ and his grace but rather admire and be thankfull to him who is so rich in mercy as to keep any of us from the greatest transgression and transgressions for we who as the Scripture telleth us are not able to think a good thought of our selves are not able to keep our selves from the highest provocations what are we but an infinite and endlesse evil we goe astray as soon as we are
a little 2 John 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God but he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the son No man hath the sons Kingdom in his heart but he hath the fathers Kingdom there ton if Christ be the souls husband the soul will acknowledge God that is Christs father to be his father Christs God to be his God the spirit of this son being sent into our hearts makes us willingly and gladly call God Abba father Ga. 4.6 and so we are taught Jo. 5.23 That we should honour the son even as we honour the father and he that honoureth not the son honoureth not the father and what more plain to our purpose then what Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 10.40 He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me which shews us that whosoever receiveth Christ receiveth the father which sent him there is no such thing as a mans receiving of Christs kingdom into his heart in opposition to the fathers Kingdom no man can come to Christ and have his Kingdom set up in his heart except the father which hath sent him draw him Joh. 6.44 And this is the will of the father that sent Christ that whosoever seeth the son and believeth in him should have everlasting life this sheweth us that the father and Christ have one will the same will design Kingdom in the Saints it s the father that setteth up Christs Kingdom in the heart for saith Christ no man commeth unto me except it were given him of the father Jo. 6.65 and so Jo. 8.9 Ye neither know me nor my father if ye had known me ye should have known my father also see how they go together and so Christ telleth us John 1479. He that hath seen me hath seen the father also I might quote twenty Scriptures more to shew the Authors mistake in this particular which is not without danger for here would scare and affright poor souls that they set up Christs Kingdom in their hearts in opposition to the fathers but we see that where any soul receiveth Christ he receiveth the father that sent him Page 326. He saith that the Disciples could cast out those Divels that dwell and acted in hearts unswept and ungarnished but they could not cast out that sort of Divels Mat. 17.14 to 22. which delight to rest in swept cleansed and garnished consciences No question but the Divel hath the strongest hold in those who have been swept and garnished as it is said Mat. 12.43 44. where the Divel is said to walk thorow the dry places seeking rest and finding none by those dry places may be meant the true believers that are baptised with the holy Ghost and with fire and that had the spirit of judgement and of burning this maketh them dry places and though the Divel doth in some particular temptations prevail upon these believers yet the Lord recovers them again that he can find no rest there but those that have only had common grace and enlightnings and so are like houses swept and garnished though the Divel seem to have left such men yet they will find at last a repossessing and their latter end to be worse then their beginning but what manner of Divels were these that are spoken of in this 17. Mat. that they delighted only they were so cleanly to dwell in swept and garnished consciences he that was there possessed it s said v. 15. was lunaticke and have all such men swept and garnished consciences what ground is there for the Author to gather this from hence no question but the Divels delight to dwell in a man that is in the height of profaness and impiety and where they cannot keep men such but they are pricked at the heart and convinced of sin and reform and yet are ignorant of Gods righteousness and go about to establish their own righteousness they are very well content to dwell in such hearts and the reason why they could not cast out the Divel out of the lunaticke person was because of their unbelief Christ saith and this unbelief was not such unbelief as men are condemned for the not receiving of Christ but the faith of miracles is that which is here spoken of I hope that every one that hath true saving faith in Christ cannot cure the lonatick but if they had exercised this faith here spoken of they might have cured the lunaticke person The Apostles had the faith of miracles but they did not alwaies act it not at this time and to overthrow this notion of the Authors we find Luke 9.1 That the disciples had power and authority over all Devils Page 333. He makes the sinning against Christ in his second appearance to be the sin against the Holy Ghost The Author leaves out nothing that might appall and agash the poor soul that won't close with his notions of a higher image and life and here telleth us this is the sin against the Holy Ghost a grievous sin indeed that shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come we have seen before that the Author makes Christ in his second appearance to be namely Christ shining forth in the glory and naked similitude of God but where doth the Scripture make this the sin against the holy Ghost the sin against the holy Ghost is an opposing of Christ and the truth knowingly wilfully and out of meer malice that it is not the pleasure or profit that men find in their wayes that makes them oppose and set themselves against Christ and his wayes but meerly hatred and malice against Christ and this is called the sinne against the holy Ghost because that the person thus sinning hath been so clearly and fully convinced and enlightned by the holy Ghost to the contrary of what he is resolved thus to do unto death this sin against the holy Ghost is not only a falling in the way for so a Saint may fall but a falling away from Christ and the truth and not every falling away from Christ and the truth neither but such a falling away from Christ the truth that is wilful and meerly of malice and hatred to the truth and Christ Jesus and so if a man fall from Christ and leave him in this manner as hath been said whether it be Christ in his first or second appearance as the Author distinguisheth it maketh him guilty of the sinne against the holy Ghost I hasten towards a conclusion lest I should quite tire my selfe and the Reader with these things but I cannot passe over what our Author saith Page 269. Where expounding Rev. 17. where it is said the whore sitteth upon many waters and with her the Kings of the earth have committed fornication he expounds it thus That by the Kings of the earth is meant men in the honour and dignitie of the first Adam's purity and principles that they